To mark the 150th anniversary of Manuel de Falla, the Cañizares Quartet presents an international tour devoted to Falla and flamenco. The programme is divided into two parts: the first features works by Falla in various formations, including guitar duo, guitar and cajón, as well as dance performances; the second presents a flamenco programme by Cañizares, also featuring dance.
Falla was one of the composers most deeply inspired by flamenco. Cañizares’ arrangements bring to the forefront the flamenco roots that lie beneath Falla’s music, and have been met with great acclaim. The repertoire includes selections from El amor brujo, The Three-Cornered Hat (El sombrero de tres picos), and La vida breve, among other works.
His celebrated guitar arrangements of composers such as Falla, Albéniz and Granados, published in the collection By Cañizares, have been widely praised for helping to bridge the gap between classical guitar and flamenco, earning him Spain’s National Music Prize. Likewise, the influence of these composers can also be heard in his own flamenco compositions. Taken as a whole, the programme stands as a tribute to the legacy of Manuel de Falla.
Line up:
- Cañizares – guitar
- Juan Carlos Gómez – second guitar
- Ángel Muñoz – dance, cajón and palmas
- Charo Espino – dance, castanets and palmas
CAÑIZARES | Guitarist and Composer
Cañizares is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential flamenco artists in the world today. Equally at home in classical repertoire and his own original compositions, he has built an exceptional career spanning more than four decades.
He remains the first and only flamenco guitarist invited to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, including a performance of Concierto de Aranjuez under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle at Madrid’s Teatro Real. He has appeared with leading orchestras around the world, including the Staatskapelle Dresden, NHK Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Spanish National Orchestra and Chorus, and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia.
Among his many distinctions are the National Guitar Prize (1982), the Spanish Music Prize (2008), and several Flamenco Hoy Awards (2000, 2011 and 2013). For ten years, Cañizares worked closely with Paco de Lucía, and has also collaborated with major artists such as Enrique Morente, Camarón de la Isla, Joan Manuel Serrat, Alejandro Sanz, Mauricio Sotelo, Leo Brouwer, John Paul Jones, and Peter Gabriel.
As a composer, he has written works for Spain’s National Ballet Company and created soundtracks for films including La Lola se va a los Puertos starring Rocío Jurado and Paco Rabal, as well as Flamenco and La Jota by Carlos Saura. He has contributed to more than 100 recordings and has released 15 albums as a leading artist.
