Paco Peña to Bring Spirit of Flamenco to Three Stages, 2/25

Beginning their current tour in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Paco Peña and his sextet will bring the true spirit of flamenco to audiences all over the world. As guitarist, composer, dramatist and mentor, Peña's imagination, dedication and skill constantly renew this archetypal Spanish art form. As the leader of an immensely talented ensemble-in dance, voice and music- he has assembled a Stellar lineup for his Folsom debut.

Readers of Guitar magazine judged Paco Peña "Best Flamenco Guitarist of the Year" for five consecutive years. Their program, entitled Flamenco Vivo, is a musical Journey that displays the highest level of modern flamenco, highlighting the rhythmic complexities of its latest variations of dance, song and guitar. Flamenco Vivo also looks back to the most primitive and pure forms of this captivating art and pays respect to the legacy this tradition has left us.

Paco Peña: Flamenco Vivo performs in Three Stages on Monday, February 25, 2013, 7:00 pm. Tickets are $25-$39; Premium tickets are available for $49. Students with ID's are $12. They may be purchased online at www.threestages.net or from the Three Stages Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Three Stages is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

Born in the Andalucian city of Cordoba, Peña began learning guitar from his brother at the age of six and made his first professional appearance at the age of 12. In the late 1960's he left Spain for London, where his recitals of flamenco music captured the public imagination.

Venues for his solo performances have included the intimate Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, the monumental Royal Albert Hall in London, New York's Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. He has shared the stage with fellow-guitarists, singers and instrumental groups, bridging diverse musical genres, including classical, jazz, blues, country and Latin American.

Paco Peña has performed regularly with his own hand-picked company of dancers, guitarists and singers in a succession of groundbreaking shows. The Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company has taken flamenco into the realm of music-theatre with regular seasons in London (Royal Festival Hall, Sadler's Wells Theatre and Barbican) and festival appearances in Edinburgh, Adelaide, Amsterdam, Athens, Israel, Istanbul, Singapore and Hong Kong.

In a different review, The New York Times declared that "Mr. Peña is a virtuoso, capable of dazzling an audience beyond the frets of mortal man. He combines rapid-fire flourishes with a colourist's sense of shading; this listener cannot recall hearing any guitarist with a more assured mastery of his instrument."

Three Stages at Folsom Lake College presents touring artists from around the world; partners with the best regional arts organizations, and supports productions by FLC students and faculty.

Three Stages at Folsom Lake College is a $50 million performing and visual arts center that opened in February 2011. Located on the campus, Three Stages includes three intimate performance venues (850, 200, 100 seats), an art gallery, a recording studio, ample rehearsal and classroom space, a Full Service ticket office plus all the amenities of a state-of-the-art performance venue. Parking is free on weekends and for those buying tickets in advance.

A renaming of Three Stages is currently under way. The new name, Harris Center for the Arts, honors Dr. Brice Harris, Chancellor Emeritus of the Los Rios Community College District, for his many contributions to the Capital Region, including providing the vision and leadership that led to the opening of this regional arts center.