Chan Centre Welcomes World's Leading Flamenco Guitarist Paco Pena Tonight

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC) presents the world's leading flamenco guitarist Paco Peña, tonight, October 24 at 8pm in the Chan Shun Concert Hall.

Peña's latest show Flamencura features the renowned flamenco master, known for his rapid flourishes and delicate shading on guitar, and a group of impassioned dancers, singers and musicians in a fiery tribute to the rich history of the treasured art form.

"We're delighted to welcome Paco Peña, widely considered the greatest living flamenco guitarist, to the Chan Centre stage," says Joyce Hinton, Co-Managing Director of the Chan Centre. "As a musician, composer, dramatist, producer and artistic mentor, Peña embodies excellence and innovation, and inspires with a level of artistry we take great pride in showcasing."

Named by Guitar Magazine as 'Best Flamenco Guitarist' for five consecutive years, Peña first launched to international fame in the 1960's when he left his hometown of Córdoba, Spain for London. The prodigious guitarist with a discography of 30 albums has since captured the public imagination through his exceptional mastery of the flamenco art form. As a soloist, Peña has graced such elite venues as Royal Albert Hall in London, New York's Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

The world's first musician to be made a professor of flamenco, a role established in 1985 at Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands, the 73-year old legend has been transforming perceptions of flamenco for nearly six decades. With The Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company, which he founded in 1970, Peña has bridged flamenco with musical theatre, presenting full-scale productions for regular seasons at London's Royal Festival Hall, Sadler's Wells Theatre and Barbican Centre, and for festivals in Scotland, Australia, the Netherlands, Greece, Israel, Turkey, Malaysia and China. Peña's 1999 work Musa Gitana, an ode to the Spanish painter Julio Romero de Torres, enjoyed a seven week season at the Peacock Theatre in London, the longest-ever run of a show entirely dedicated to flamenco.

Peña's latest show, Flamencura, features the incredible talents of celebrated flamenco dancers Angel Muñoz and Yolanda Osuna Linares who both hail from Córdoba, the same hometown as Peña. The ensemble also includes acclaimed vocalists Inmaculada Rivero and Bernardo Miranda Luna, guitarists Francisco Arriaga and Rafael Montilla, and percussionist Ignacio Lopez.

Flamencura explores the elusive state at the core of flamenco known as duende (soul). The performance features a series of ten provocative and colourful works, which offer a compilation of captivating styles and moods. From the lively hammering of the dancers' heels along to harsh guitar chords, to elegant movement accompanied by feathery strumming, the technical command and vigor of the performers remains constant throughout. Guiding the group along to the compas (metre) at the centre of the action is Peña, known for "dazzling an audience beyond the frets of mortal[s]" (The New York Times). Harnessing flamenco's most captivating elements - modal zones, razor-sharp rhythmic patterns, and spontaneity, Peña and his ensemble create a deep connection and entrancing chemistry with the audience.

London's Independent on Sunday says, "If you only ever see flamenco once in your life, make it this!"

Chan Centre Connects Event
Chan Centre Connects is a series of ancillary events programmed in conjunction with Chan Centre Presents performances, exploring the role of arts and artists in society.

• Pre-Show Talk with UBC's Dr. Arianna Dagnino- October 24 / 7:15pm @ Royal Bank Cinema (Chan Centre). Entitled Flamenco and the Diasporic Soul, this pre-show talk will offer a journey through the nature of flamenco in search of our emotional "home".

About The Chan Centre for Performing Arts at UBC (chancentre.com)
Since 1997, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in UBC's Arts & Culture District has earned an international reputation for its striking design, stellar acoustics, and exceptional programming. Artists, critics, and patrons alike are unanimous in their praise of the facility, winning it a place among North America's premier performing arts venues. The Chan Centre boasts three unique venues: the superb Chan Shun Concert Hall, the dramatic Telus Studio Theatre, and the intimate Royal Bank Cinema. From classical, jazz, theatre, and opera to world music, the Chan Centre is a vital part of UBC campus life where artistic and academic disciplines merge to inspire new perspectives on life and culture. Past performers and guest speakers include: Wynton Marsalis, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Renée Fleming, Dan Savage, Yo-Yo Ma, Mariza, Sigur Rós, Mavis Staples, Lila Downs, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock.