Flamenco Legends to Honor Sabicas at Flamenco Festival's 25th Anniversary Finale

WMI and Flamenco Festival New York will celebrate the closing night of the 25th Anniversary of the Festival with a special performance that honors the man who introduced flamenco guitar to the global stage from the heart of Manhattan. This tribute concert is a musical homage to the legendary flamenco guitarist Agustín Castellón Campos, known simply as Sabicas, and takes place at the same iconic theater where, in 1959, he made history by performing the first flamenco guitar recital as a solo concert instrument. Until then, the guitar had lived mostly in the shadows, accompanying song and dance; that night it stepped into the spotlight and changed flamenco forever.

Three generations of guitarists - the virtuosic Gerardo Núñez, the Latin Grammy Award-winning Antonio Rey, and rising star Álvaro Martinete - celebrate the living legacy Sabicas created. Joining them will be guest artist Olga Pericet, whose bold, elegant performance evokes the legendary Carmen Amaya, Sabicas's long-time artistic partner, bringing full circle a moment that shaped the modern history of flamenco.

Born in Pamplona in 1912, Sabicas came to New York in the early 1940s as a refugee from the Spanish Civil War. The city became his creative haven for the following four decades. In a humble apartment shared with his wife, Sabicas crafted a life that resonated powerfully throughout the music world. He recorded an impressive number of albums in the United States, many of which became essential resources for flamenco guitarists across generations. New York offered him the artistic freedom and global audience that Spain, under Franco's dictatorship, could not provide. In return, he served as a cultural bridge, a guide, and a mentor.