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    • 12/02/2025 Juan Carmona Quartet in Nagaur at World Sacred Spirit Festival

Biography

 

If Juan Carmona had to write his life’s story, it might be called « La Belle Histoire », after the Claude Lelouch film in which he performed the soundtrack in 1992.

The Carmona family had emigrated from North Africa to France after being exiled in the early 1960s. Juan, born in Lyon, was only ten years old when his father gave him his first guitar. His passion for the instrument grew and his virtuosity was quickly remarked by professional musicians.

Juan’s journey as a professional guitarist next took him back to the land of his ancestors, Spain, to go back to his roots and imbibe at the Source – Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia. His talent and the originality of his art were quickly recognized in this city, known as the cradle of flamenco.

For 9 years, he absorbed as much as he could in the purest flamenco tradition, rubbing elbows with some of its biggest names, like Joaquín Grilo, Agujetas, Duquende, Antonio Canales, Chano Domínguez and many others. He recorded his first albums and won international awards including the prestigious guitar competition International de Jerez, finalist of the competition of the Union of Cordoba and winner of the great Paco de Lucia Awards.

The success Juan encountered in Spain was a triumph for this Gypsy of French origin. On his return to France, he collaborated with musicians of diverse origins: Sylvain LucLarry CoryellMarcus MillerJan GarbarekTrilok GurtuSubramanianBaden Povell ; each project adding a new color to his sound pallette.

Creative and curious, his thirst for learning is unquenchable and makes him what he is today : the creator of one of the most beautiful sounds on the international scene. His music is written with his memory, his ears, his heart and his passion.

A self-taught musician, he can boast of having composed his Sinfonia Flamenca and Orillas, today performed by many orchestras in the world, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Australia), the St Louis Symphony Orchestra (USA), the Russian Philarmony (Russia), the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (Hong Kong) and the National Orchestra of Lyon (France).

 

On tour with his musicians around the world (United States, China, Canada…), his albums AlchemyaOrillasSinfonia Flamenca and El Sentido del Aire were nominated at the Latin GRAMMY Awards, category « Best Album Flamenco of the year ». Winner of the Grand Prize Charles Cros 2015, UNESCO awarded him also the Grand Prize Zyriab of Virtuosos. His new opus Zyriab 6.7 (Release : 12th November 2021), with an exceptional cast that retraces the journey of the musician-poet Zyriab, stopping off along the Mediterranean, from oasis to caravanserai, covering 6,743 km from Baghdad to Cordoba. Each stop is a musical invitation with an emblematic artist of his country.

Praised by the leading figures of flamenco, Juan Carmona wanders on the air ways of the duende. At the intersection between musical modernity and the oldest and liveliest flamenco traditions of Andalusia, Juan Carmona is an innovator, one of the most valiant links of his generation.


New album

Zyriab 6.7
(Nomades Kultur / L’Autre Distribution / Karonte)

see the whole discography

    2019   Gold Trophy awarded by Marseille +
    2015 Grand Prize of Zyriab des Virtuoses awarded by the UNESCO at the International Festival of Luth of Tetouan in Morocco
    2014 Nominated at the Latin Grammy Award, « Best Album Flamenco » for his album Alchemya
    Grand Prize of Charles Cros Academy for his album Alchemya
    3 TTT Télérama for his album Alchemya
    2010 Nominated at the Latin Grammy Award, « Best Album Flamenco » for his album El sentido del Aire
    2006 Nominated at the Latin Grammy Award, « Best Album Flamenco » for his album Sinfonia Flamenca
    2005 Babel Med Music Award, « World Music Artist of the year »
    2003 Nominated at the Latin Grammy Award, « Best Album Flamenco » for his album Orillas
    1994 Paco de Lucia First Prize, Madrid
    1993 Trophy awarded by the Flamenco Pena Don Antonio Chacon, Jerez
    1992 Lavoisier Prize, awarded by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Paris
    1991 First Prize of Cannes Guitar Festival
    1990 Villa Médicis « Hors les Murs » prize, awarded by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Paris
    1989 Finalist of the Union and Cordoba Flamenca Guitar International Competition
    1988 First Prize – Jerez de la Frontera International Competition.

    2001

    Traditional Music Certificate, Paris

    1989

    State certificate of flamenca guitar teacher, Lyon Flamenco Centro Andaluz

    Certificate by Manolo Sanlucar, Jerez

    1986

    Lyon National certificate of flamenco guitar teacher, Lyon

    1983

    Concert License, The Upper National Music Academy of Paris.