Irish flutist Hanz Araki has played to a lot of full houses in his musical career, but the sold out show on Bainbridge last August was special, as the Guild Hall performance marked a homecoming for the former islander.

“It’s nice to have a full house in the town you grew up in,” he said over tea recently. “It’s one of the best feelings in the world — it’s a real feeling of accomplishment.”

Araki spent part of his childhood on Bainbridge before moving back to Seattle and on to a life as a performer of traditional Irish music.

With his backup band An Tua, he plays wooden flute and whistle, and sings in a rich tenor reminiscent of a Celtic bard.

While many in attendance at the August concert may have been hearing his music for the first time, the audience was also sprinkled with familiar faces: his grandparents, a woman whose wedding he played at more than 10 years ago, and old friends from grade school.

Two pals in particular he had seen individually over the years, but not in the same place at once, and not back on the old home turf.

“Seeing old friends together here was very Twilight Zone,” he said.

If his old grade school mates had a reunion, he could tell them about how he moved to Japan at 17 to learn the shakuhachi flute from his father, then taught the instrument for two years at Keio University before moving back to Seattle in 1991.

Araki swapped the meditative shakuhachi for the lively Irish flute and began playing in the active Seattle Irish music scene. Over the years he has played continuously, including a stint with the Juno Award-winning Canadian group, The Paperboys, and annual tours to Japan.

He would probably be too modest to share this information, but his 2004 CD with An Tua, “Six of One, Five of the Other,” has gotten rave reviews from folk magazines Dirty Linen and SingOut!, and he was recently named “Best Male Newcomer” by liveireland.com, the Web portal for all things Irish.

Liveireland music reviewer Bill Margeson is a self-confessed fan of Araki’s and in presenting the cyber award said, “Araki is a terrific flute player, and a truly terrific singer. It is very rare to find a talent this good on an instrument who also sings this well. Lots of great musicians think they sing well, and are dreadful. Not Araki. . . . This is a big time talent — and as we said in the full review, never mind the name, this boy can play and sing!”

About that name. It’s actually all Japanese, not some Euro-Asian hybrid. You can thank his classmates, as he shortened it early on from Hanzaburo to Hanz in order to avoid relentless teasing.

Araki said as much as he enjoyed the first concert, he is looking forward to the Feb. 4 show even more.

“You can’t play an area too often, but if you go too long (between shows) you lose the connection with the audience,” he said. “Playing music is not like building a house where you have something to show for it at the end of the day — you get a sense of accomplishment by going back and maintaining a connection.”

People who bought his CD at the last concert can expect to hear songs from it at the concert, but he’ll also throw in some new tunes. After all, he’s got hundreds of years of traditional Irish music from which to choose.

Araki will again be joined by pianist Suzanne Taylor and Dave Cory on guitar and other stringed instruments.

His CD is now available locally at The Glass Onion in Winslow.

Hanz Araki and An Tua play 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Island Music Guild Hall, 10598 Valley Rd., Bainbridge Island.

Tickets are $12 adults, $9 seniors and students. Advance tickets at (360) 842-5485.