Artist line-up changes for Philharmonic show after violinist falls ill

The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society yesterday regrettably announced that violinist Michael Barenboim has been forced to withdraw from this Thursday’s performance due to illness.

The show is sponsored by the Parasol Foundation will now see flamenco artist Cañizares perform this Thursday at 8pm in the Convent Ballroom.

“It is however a coup for Gibraltar that Maestro Chichon has secured the services of one of the most important and influential flamenco artists worldwide, Cañizares, to replace Mr Barenboim at such short notice,” the Society said in a statement.

“Guitarist and composer Cañizares is just as comfortable with classical repertoire and his own compositions.”

Cañizares’ career spans over four decades, and is the first and only flamenco guitarist to have been invited to perform with the Berliner Philharmoniker – along with he played the Concierto de Aranjuez under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle in Madrid’s Teatro Real.

He has collaborated with the main orchestras worldwide, including Staatskapelle Dresden, NHK Synphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España and Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya etc. Cañizares has won many prestigious awards, including ‘Premio Nacional de Guitarra’ (1982), ‘Premio de la Música’ (2008), and ‘Premio Flamenco Hoy’ (2000, 2011, 2013).

For ten years Cañizares was a close collaborator of Paco de Lucía, and he has also worked with many other leading artists – Enrique Morente, Camarón de la Isla, Serrat, Alejandro Sanz, Mauricio Sotelo, Leo Brouwer, John Paul Jones and Peter Gabriel, among others.

Cañizares’ work as a composer includes works for the Spanish National Ballet Company and soundtracks for several movies, including “La Lola se va a los Puertos” with Rocío Jurado and Paco Rabal, Flamenco and “La Jota” by Carlos Saura.

He has participated in over 100 albums and has published 15 albums as main artist.

Further information tel: + 350 200 72134 or online: www.philharmonic.gi.