Concierto Al-Andalus a la memoria de Paco de Lucía

2023 JMC Music Productions

The Concierto Al-Andalus holds a very special place in my heart, as it is the first work I composed for guitar and orchestra. It was commissioned by the Spanish National Orchestra and Choir, with whom I had the honor of premiering it in 2016 under the direction of Maestro Josep Pons.

The genesis of this work is intimately connected to Maestro Pons: during a tour we did in the Netherlands, I had the opportunity to perform a work for guitar and orchestra, after which the audience, always sovereign, asked for an encore with their applause. Then, Josep Pons suggested backstage that I play a bulería for them. The enthusiastic reaction of the audience did not go unnoticed by Maestro Pons, who advised me at that very moment, to compose a flamenco guitar concerto.

However, once I started working on the piece, I was far from imagining that during the composition process, I would receive the incredibly sad news: Paco de Lucía, who had been my maestro and friend for ten years, had just passed away. His memory inevitably appeared on the staves I was writing on, and as a tribute to his memory, I decided to dedicate the work to him: “Concierto Al-Ándalus in memory to Paco de Lucía“. Each note I composed was a tear I shed for him. I sincerely hope that those who listen to the work can experience the same emotion that I felt while creating it.

I am equally pleased to share the Suite Mozárabe for two guitars, an adaptation of a symphonic work that I composed in 2021 at the request of the Córdoba Guitar Festival, in honor of its 40th anniversary. This work, which is inspired by the beauty of the city of Córdoba, represents a harmonious amalgamation of Andalusian and Mozarabic sounds. It is a great honor for me to have been able to contribute to the celebration of such a significant and prestigious festival worldwide.

April 2023

Juan Manuel Cañizares