Artist Information
Biography
Passion for her culture and passion for educating herself and others about its richness and beauty define AnnaMaria’s life. This intensity of dedication has led AnnaMaria into possession of a truly unique combination of accomplishments and youth.
AnnaMaria identifies herself first as a musician. As a classical and flamenco guitarist, her style speaks of her proud heritage as an eighteenth-generation Santa Fean, a link to the world’s best-preserved enclave of Spanish colonial culture. As a singer, her voice reveals all the warmth of her Mediterranean ancestry. Her talent has brought her concert and recital engagements worldwide, but pursuing this goal took her on a most unusual and remarkable path.
At thirteen, AnnaMaria completed high school in order to begin a professional career with the guitar. She recorded her first album at fifteen and began her own label, Musica Mundial Productions. The success of that first album both launched her career and brought national recognition of her entrepreneurial creativity.
When AnnaMaria’s first CD was featured on QVC, it met with astounding sales, but more importantly, the exposure introduced AnnaMaria to an audience much wider than her native Santa Fe. It was at that point that her national and international performance schedule truly began to soar. Some of the appearances she is most proud of were a recital at the Kennedy Center, performances for the Prince of Spain and numerous concerts with full orchestra of her favorite work, Rodrigo’s profoundly moving Concierto de Aranjuez. Many albums have since been produced by AnnaMaria on Musica Mundial Productions and other labels.
Success with the guitar however, was not AnnaMaria’s only musical goal. With the same determination, AnnaMaria began to develop her voice as an equally important instrument. Perhaps early experiences at the Santa Fe Opera or her half-Sicilian genes instilled her deep love of opera, and her vocal performances, whether accompanied by anything from her own guitar to full orchestra, have met with the greatest response.
All of this represented dreams realized, but AnnaMaria possessed a profound sense of responsibility to continue her education, especially as it related to the culture and music she so loved. While maintaining her performance schedule, consistently producing successful recordings and running Musica Mundial, AnnaMaria completed her BA summa cum laude at St. Mary’s College of California at age eighteen. At twenty, she completed her MA at St. John’s College in Santa Fe. These Philosophy/Theology-oriented Liberal Arts degrees were a step toward her real research interest.
Before the age of 25, AnnaMaria completed her doctoral dissertation at the University of Notre Dame. Her Ph.D. was awarded in Theology with an emphasis in Latino Studies. The topic of her dissertation, however, reflected a lifetime of interdisciplinary study. AnnaMaria carefully researched the early roots of today’s Spanish flamenco as they are preserved in the liturgical tradition of the New Mexican Penitentes--a society whose worship presents a time-capsule of medieval Spanish spirituality.
Her research yielded surprising revelations about a historically unique time and place where Islam, Judaism and Christianity flourished in community. Her work speaks both of the tragedy of the destruction of this delicately beautiful balance and the triumph of its continued survival in the arts. Surprisingly enough, AnnaMaria’s interest in her culture’s ancient roots revealed a message of cooperation of terribly timely relevance to today’s troubled world.
AnnaMaria’s background puts her in a unique position to speak and perform in the university context, especially for the college age group. Firstly, students are her peers, and she speaks to them as such. Her Latin temperament never to be squelched, her performances and lectures are not dryly academic but are instead highly dramatic, deeply engaging and imbued with all the excitement of the Spanish guitar and the sensuality of the mezzo-soprano voice.
Instrumentation
Dr. AnnaMaria Cardinalli-Padilla brings her audience into an entrancing and exotic world through her mastery of the Spanish classical and flamenco guitar, the intriguing stories of her culture, and her haunting and uniquely Mediterranean voice. Experience the romance of the Spanish guitar, the passionate rhythms of the gypsies...
Discography
Solo Artist:
Padre's Footsteps - Quinceañera - Santa Fe Silver - Spain Never Sleeps - Navidad - AnnaMaría
Collaborative artist:
El Duo Duende - El Rosario
Featured artist:
Lullaby, and Good Night - Guitars of Newport
Visit www.annamaria.ws and www.elduoduende.com to learn more and hear sound clips.
Video
Press
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- The New Mexican
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“…exuding romance and passion…when La Cantadora [AnnaMaría] sings, she has a deep, confident… warm, ...
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- Sor Juana Festival
“With a prodigious spirit that rivals Sor Juana’s, AnnaMaría marvels audiences…”
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- La Opinión
”Y, de paso, AnnaMaría sabe cantar… y lo hace muy bien.”
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- The Journal
“…a very deep voice that seems to mix Penitente and Gypsy styles…”
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- Twin Circle
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“One young opera singer is emerging, however, who might well make Licia Albanese proud. Her name is ...
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- The Archbishop of Toledo
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“I have witnessed the masters perform where AnnaMaría just has. And never have I heard a performance...
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- Acoustic Player Magazine
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AnnaMaria is an astounding musician. Period. Her forte is classical guitar with a poignant and gente...
Setlist
AnnaMaria has no typical set. Her program will be customized to the needs and desires of your organization. She often presents programs tracing the cultural history of the Hispanic world, including music from ancient Spain to modern Mexico, or presentations on the rich African tradition represented in Spanish music. Perhaps, however, you will desire her specialty, a simple evening of the most romantic and passionate music for the guitar. AnnaMaria rarely brakes during a concert engagement. Her set will last as long as you require, and her goal is to immerse her audience into an exotic new world.
Pieces she particularly loves include:
Austurias (Leyenda) - the frenetic playing that represents the pinnacle of Spanish technique
Recuerdos de la Alhambra - perhaps the most evocative piece in the repertoire
Koyunbaba - a Turkish-inspired fantasy journey that ends in incomparable virtuosity
Granada - brings the listener into the sun-drenched peace of an afternoon in southern Spain
Farruca Ronda - a flamenco dance rhythm that speaks of the possibilities of the night
Bulerias - both stirring and hypnotic, the bulerias is often thought to capture the essence of Flamenco
Rosa Mystica - from sinuous to frenzied, this piece is pure belly-dance material
Aranjuez - The theme from her favorite concierto - this is the tragic cry that sounds across Spanish culture
Besame Mucho - the ultimate torch song of seduction
Malaguena Salerosa - AnnaMaria’s arrangement of this unforgettable melody
La Llorona - the Mexican melody that alone captures the legend of the weeping woman
