CAÑIZARES

CANIZARES
Guitarist, Musician and Composer

CANIZARES is one of the best known international figures on the flamenco guitar and contemporary Spanish music scene. Renowned for the integrity and balance of his musical qualities, his playing technique is a rare combination of brilliance and sensitivity.

Acknowledged worldwide as a genius of virtuosity, his technique, harmony, strength and sensitivity have distinguished him as a unique artist, considered one of the great flamenco musicians of the turn of the century. Above anything else, however, Canizares extols simplicity and purity of sound, transmitting a message with a high emotional impact.

His collaboration with Paco de Lucia for more than 10 years (1988-1998) was the most decisive experience in the artistic maturity of Canizares. He collaborated with Paco de Lucia in Solo Duo Trio and Paco de Lucia Septet and performed at the most important venues of Europe, America, Asia and Africa. During one of the tours, Canizares transcribed Triana, Albaicin and Puerto from the Iberia Suite by Isaac Albeniz, and collaborated in Paco de Lucia?fs recording of Concierto de Aranjuez, the album where the three tracks are to be found.

Canizares is open to collaborate with all kinds of musicians: Enrique Morente, Camaron de la Isla, Serrat, Alejandro Sanz, Mauricio Sotelo, Rocio Jurado, El Ultimo de la Fila, Leo Brower, Peter Gabriel, Michael Brecker, Mike Stern, Al Di Meola, Peter Erskine, The Chieftains among many others.

As a composer, Canizares created the music for the Spanish National Ballet Company for Felix el Loco (2004) and Caprichos (2007).
He has also written the soundtracks for films such as La Lola se va a los puertos with Rocio Jurado and Paco Rabal, and Flamenco by Carlos Saura.

He also recorded The Official Torch Relay Theme (Athens, 2004), and has collaborated with several major performers worldwide on more than 100 albums.

Besides his recording career and concerts, Canizares spends a great deal of his time investigating and teaching flamenco. He has taught Flamenco Guitar at the Escuela Superior de Musica de cataluna (ESMUC) since 2003.

Finally, he decided to embark upon a career as a soloist. He now has 4 albums of his own recordings.

For his first album, Noches de iman y luna, Canizares composed a brilliant piece which was a great success among the public and critics alike.

On his second album, Original Transcription of Isaac Albeniz, he magnificently transcribed the piano sonatas for two guitars. It is a unique piece, not only as a guitar composition, but as a significant achievement in the history of Spanish music.

His third album, Punto de Encuentro (Meeting Point), is a reflection on the great artists and friends with whom he has worked and shared his music: Mike Stern, Don Alias, Paco de Lucia, Enrique Morente, Hevia, Kepa Junquera and Pastora Soler, among others.

With his fourth and latest album, Suite Iberia, Albeniz by Canizares, he has completed a task he set himself years ago, having for the first time transcribed the famous Suite by genius composer Albeniz for two guitars just one hundred years after it was first written. Canizares?fs interpretation transports listeners to a world of Spanish tradition and culture. With this album, Canizares won the Spain Academy Prize 2008 as the Best Performer of Classical Music.

Canizares has recently toured the entire world, performing at the greatest venues in countries such as: U.S., Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Montenegro, Finland, Israel, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia and Japan, among others.