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Juan Martín Trio

Flamenco Music from Andalucía

Saturday 12 May 7.45pm

Gulbenkian Theatre Canterbury

Juan Martín is a celebrated virtuoso of the flamenco guitar who has been voted into the top three guitarists in the world by US magazine Guitar Player.  Juan Martín is a native of Andalucía but spends much time touring and in London where he has formed his own international company for the promotion of high quality flamenco coming direct from Andalucía.

The Spanish paper Mundo said of him “he has a terrifyingly good technique and an absolute dominance of the guitar, filling the concert hall with crystalline clarity.”

“His group takes us on an enchanting journey through the Andalucian Landscape” Sunday Times

Tickets £15 Concs £13

Booking Office 01227 769075 On line bookings www.gulbenkiantheatre.co.uk

Ends.

Press Contact: Martin Peirson, ADASTRA, 01377 217662 martin_dot_peirson_at_adastra-music_dot_co_dot_uk

Juan Martín biog

A celebrated virtuoso of the flamenco guitar who has been voted into the top three guitarists in the world by US magazine Guitar Player, Juan Martín is a native of Andalucía, where he still has a home in Málaga.   He spends much time touring and in London where he has formed his own international company for the promotion of high quality flamenco coming direct from Andalucía.   He has recorded 17 albums, mostly as a composer and presently has 4 videos distributed by Warner Brothers and a new video series coming out in Spring 2002 with Mel Bay, which despite their purity, are always amongst their best sellers.   His method book ‘Arte Flamenco de la Guitarra’, in its eighth print, has opened the complex art of the flamenco guitar to the whole world and is assiduously studied from Moscow to Beijing to San Francisco and back to Spain and has assured his name for posterity.

He performs with a highly distinctive compositional style formed from his early years in Málaga and developed through wide experience in Madrid, including direct contact with Paco de Lucía.  Further experience and polish came through recordings with the Royal Philharmonic and live performances with artists of the calibre of Miles Davis.  The Spanish paper ‘Mundo’ said of him ‘he has a terrifyingly good technique and an absolute dominance of the guitar, filling the concert hall with crystalline clarity.’

He has performed at major International Arts Festivals including Edinburgh, Ludwigsburg, Montreux Jazz, Istanbul, Bosphorus, Bergen and Hong Kong as well as at leading halls worldwide.  He has broadcast on BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Spanish RTE and German ZDF television and in the US for CNN.    His solo performance of a rumba ŒLa Fería¹ brought the Royal Albert Hall to its feet during BBC TV¹s ‘Joy to the World’.   At the Wigmore Hall he appeared with the Nash Ensemble to celebrate Falla’s anniversary.  In 2001 he made a guitarists tour of the US with Alex de Grassi, Don Ross and many others.

He was the first flamenco artist to record with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and reviews of his solo compositions on ‘The Andalucian Suites’ and ‘Luna Negra’ have compared him to the great Spanish composers Tárrega and Turina.   His interest in the Moorish roots of flamenco have led him to record ‘Musica Alhambra’ rediscovering Andalusí and Sephardic music from the 12th and 13th centuries no longer performed in Spain: ‘Martín spans the centuries with a mixture of the dazzling and the profound’ The Observer.  He followed on with ‘Arte Flamenco Puro’ a recording of the ‘cante’, dance and guitar in its purest form and his latest CD recorded in Andalucía contains his best compositions to date with an alchemy of the traditional and modern making him truly ‘El Alquimista’.  

2002 was an important one in Juan’s career as he released two new albums as well as a new learning DVD/book/cd through Mel Bay, called ‘Solos Flamencos’  (released March 02 in USA and May in ROW).  The album  ‘Riquezas’ is a recording of guitar and flamenco singer and the second album is a Latin influenced recording of Juan’s own compositions to be entitled ‘Camino Latino’.

Reviews:

’His group takes us on an enchanting journey through the Andalucian Landscape’ Sunday Times

’The most fascinating thing about the record is the perfect tone of his sound’ Alma 100, Spain, June 2000
’His stunning virtuosity and spectacular live shows are greeted with delight by audiences and critic alike’ Irish Times, October 2000

’At the centre is Martín who knows the value of restraint, even when unleasing the sort of frenzied intensity synonymous with the very best flamenco guitarists’ World Choice, The Times 2001

Adastra
2 Star Row, North Dalton, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 9UR, UK
T: (+44) 1377 217662 F: (+44) 1377 217662
Email: martin_dot_peirson_at_adastra-music_dot_co_dot_uk

Adastra: www.adastra-music.co.uk

Juan Martín: www.flamencovision.co.uk