Biography

Manolo Carrasco

Pianist, Composer and Musical Director

Manolo Carrasco, born in Cádiz, is considered one of the best pianists in the world and one of the most prolific authors in Spain today. He composer, Pianist and Orchestra Director. He studied at various Spanish and foreign conservatories, always obtaining the highest grades, both in composition, orchestra conducting, and in the piano modality.

He is the winner of many piano awards and has collaborated with great artists both nationally and internationally, Jazz artists such as Jorge Pardo (European Jazz Award), Classics such as Ara Malikian or flamenco artists such as José Mercé or Rocío Jurado, among others, and has performed in some of the most important theaters and places in the world such as the Paris Bercy (France), the Oriental Art Center in Shanghai (China), the Nissey Theater in Tokyo (Japan), the National Auditorium in Madrid, the Palau San Jordi in Barcelona or the palace of Peter the Great in Saint Petersburg, in 2015 he became the first Spanish artist to perform in the Red Square of Moscow and in the Kremlin

He is the Author of the music of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art and of the Anthem dedicated to the victims of terrorism “For them”. With whom he has toured the 5 continents, he regularly performs piano concerts, tours and shows all over the world, always achieving notable success.

Studies and Training

Born in Cádiz on March 15, 1971, he began his studies at the Manuel de Falla Conservatory in Cádiz with Rafael Prieto, after this stage he went on to the Superior Conservatory in Seville with Ana Guijarro and Manuel de Diego, continued at the Liceo Conservatory in Barcelona with Ramón Coll, he studied at the El Escorial Conservatory in Madrid under the composition tutelage of Eduardo Armenteros and piano with Anatoli Pouvson. She followed her path at the Madrid Royal Conservatory of Music where she studied composition with Antón García Abril and piano with Manuel Carra.

She finished her piano studies in 1992 with an outstanding grade and an honorable mention. Thus, she also finished her studies in Composition in 2002 with an outstanding grade.

She continues her training with several improvement courses: course taught by Vlado Perlemuter (Ravel’s direct student), Dimitri Baskirov (Reina Sofía school) and Hans Graff (in Vienna).

He has extensive knowledge in conducting. At the age of 19 he directed the Roya Philharmonic Orchestra of London for the first time in the recording of his own album “Sueños de Juventud” and he recorded again with them the albums “Al-Andalus” and “Como bailan los Caballos Andaluces”, the presentation of this latest musical project took place in the year 2000 in the municipal stadium of Chapín (Jerez de la Frontera), directing his own orchestra for the first time

Honors and Awards

  • Zipa de Oro for the artist of the year 1987. Pilar Amo Vázquez XII National Prize for Young Pianist Composition
  • Albacete. 1993. Provincial Delegation V National Competition for Young Musicians
  • Grenade. 1994. Carmen Ibáñez XIV National Competition for Young Pianists
  • Albacete. 1994. City of Poster Carlet National Piano Competition. 1994.
  • 1st prize at the International Piano Competition in Lyon, France. 1995
  • Oliver Messiaen Gilbert Gaubert International Competition – Paris. 1995.
  • Andalusia in the international award World – 1998.
  • Award for the dissemination of Andalusian culture -2000

Recordings and productions for TV

In 2005, the composer Manolo Carrasco performed under his direction, 25 classical music programs for Galician Television, and a series of classical music programs for “Sueños” on Antena 3 Television, as well as for “Nocturno” on Tele 5.

In 2006, under his direction, he performed 25 classical music programs for Tele Madrid. On Antena 3 Television “Únicos”, with the participation of Nano de Jerez, Rancapino and José Mercé. In 2007 he created his production company for TV programs “Eurodelta Music” together with his partner Fernando Bermúdez and directs and produces as musical director the programs “Diferentes” and “Intermezzo” for “La 1” and “la 2” on TVE.

Program in which some of the main Spanish artists and great international performers have participated, in such emblematic places as the Royal Palace of Madrid or the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Idelfonso in Segovia.

In 2009-2010, he began to make and produce different music programs for the regional networks: Canal Sur; TV Madrid, TV. of Aragon, TV. of the Principality of Asturias, TV Castilla la Mancha, TV Extremadura and TV of the Balearic Islands.

In 2011 he produces, directs and presents the program “Espíritu Flamenco” for TVE and currently produces and produces music programs with his production company Eurodelta Music, for the US, EU and Japan.

From 2012 to 2015 he made recordings in different emblematic places such as the Almudaina Palace in Palma de Mallorca or the Viñuelas Palace in Madrid for TVE and different regional television channels, as well as the program “en clave de noche” for Antena 3 and The Christmas program of the year 2013 and 2014 for Tele Madrid and different regional TV

Concerts and Tours

He has performed numerous concerts throughout Spain as well as international tours in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Japan and China.

  • “Tribute to García Lorca” tour – 1998.
  • “Al-Andalus” Tour 2000.
  • Composition and interpretation of the music of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian
  • Art in Paris, Barcelona and Jerez. “Dance Andalusia” tour 2001, 2002 (Japan).
  • “Aires del Sur” tour 2002, 2003.
  • “Amor y fuego” tour 2004.
  • “Aires del Sur” tour (China)- 2005.
  • “Andalusian Passion” tour 2006.
  • Tour with “Passionata Andaluza”-2007, 2008.
  • Tour “Aires de Andalucia” 2009.
  • “Sinfonía Ecuestre” tour-carried out in Spain with the “Madrid Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra” and in France with the “Montpelier Symphony Orchestra” 2010, 2011.
  • “Vive la Pepa” 2012
  • Tour “Hispania” 2013-2014
  • Tour “Pianísimo Flamenco” 2014-2015
  • “Pasión por el flamenco” (Rusia) 2015
  • “Sinfonía Ecuestre” (Rusia) 2015
  • “Spanish Flavor” (China) 2015
  • “Tacita de Plata” España 2016
  • “Pianísimo Flamenco” (Turquía) 2016
  • Tour “Pianísimo Flamenco” (España) 2016
  • Tour “Pasión Flamenca” (Rusia) 2016
  • Tour “Sounds From Spain” (España-China-Rusia) 2016-2017
  • Tour “Pasión Flamenca” (Rusia) 2017
  • “Sound From Spain” (Bahrein) 2017
  • Tour “Aires de Andalucía” (España) 2017
  • “Sound From Spain” (Turquía) 2017
  • Tour “Ballet Flamenco Español” (Italia-Rumania) 2018
  • Tour “Piano Solo Concert” (Asia) 2018
  • “Tour Sounds From Spain y Carmen” (Asia) 2018

quotes in the press

“Manolo Carrasco recibió ayer el cariño y los aplausos del público gaditano, que premió con palmas de tango el espectáculo que ofreció en el Gran Teatro Falla, “un homenaje a García Lorca y al encanto del Sur, de mi tierra que amo tanto”. Su orquesta de cámara, el grupo Los Tarantos -con Juani a la guitarra, Pepe Torres, flauta, y Anabel, Juan y Reyes a las palmas y al cante acompañaron su interpretación de viejos y nuevos temas, a los que Olivia y Pilar Ogalla añadieron el atractivo del baile y las castañuelas. El coro de Julio Pardo, los dos primeros tornavoces laterales, cantó las habaneras por tanguillos”Vente conmigo”, cerrado cada una de las dos representaciones que tuvieron lugar. El pianista gaditano no quiso privar a sus paisanos del espectáculo “Inspirado en una de mis grandes pasiones, los caballos” que está preparando para ofrecerlo en diversas plazas de toros de la provincia y de Andalucía y se trajo al Falla un anticipo: dos caballos enjaezados subieron el escenario para unirse a la fiesta de música, baile, cante, luz y color. Dos grandes pantallas colocadas a ambos lados del escenario reflejaban primeros planos de la actuación del pianista, alternadas con otras alusivas a los temas que iba desgranando sobre el teclado, fundamentalmente escenas de Cádiz, sus gentes y tradiciones, como el mar de su Bahía surcado por el Juan Sebastián Elcano”
Ana Rodríguez Tenorio Diario de Cádiz, 6 de diciembre de 1997
At twenty-seven years old, Manolo Carrasco offered himself to amateurs and ignorant as the musical bastion to the south of the south of Cádiz, almost an elegant transfiguration of Manuel de Falla, with a heart-stopping musical career that, if he had been a military man, would have already led him to Generalate with all the honors of ordinance and parade of forces before his piano, which already knows the Americas.
José Contreras El mundo, 31 de mayo de 1998
Since he was a child, Manolo used to come down from the Mentidero with the other kids in the neighborhood and when he arrived at the Gran Teatro, he forgot about the ball. 'Falla, Manuel de Falla, how great' he thought. After a brief but intense stop that every day instigated him to live for music, he continued his walk. And a few meters away, back in Santa María, his feet stopped walking again despite not having the order from his brain. Chano's voice coming from Juan Villar's rock stopped him unconsciously. What art, he thought again. And so day after day, Manolo Carrasco was modeling in his heart much more than in his mind – because in a simple conversation with him you can see that he is a man of hunches – everything that he is today. His life has been dressed in Ebony and ivory piano keys, because next to his house was Falla. But he has also dressed in the quejio and the clapper compás of Chano Lobato, because cante was right next to him.
Alberto García ReyesABC, 29 de junio de 2000
It is true that Manolo Carrasco is a pianist with solid training, it could be said that he is a musician who gives his composers a lot of vigor, and is tremendously effective, and that his respect for flamenco is unquestionable, it is perceived that in his musical universe he can write many important pages and that says a lot for him.
Manuel NaranjoDiario de Jerez, 4 de abril de 2000
His fingers bathed each and every one of the strings of flamenco chords, flavored with rumbas, tarantos, seguiriyas, Colombianas, bulerías... classic sounds and flamenco compliments in the voices of the singers, in the heel of the young couple who accompanied him to the dance, in the “Al Ándalus” that the composer dreamed of long ago.
Inmaculada RincónABC, 4 de abril de 2000
“With the ambitious name of Al Ándalus, a show was presented with all the ingredients of new generation flamenco, which differs somewhat from what is called pure: boxes, violins, electric bass and sax, served as timbre support for one night in the that an attempt was made to navigate the seas of our flamenco, and I am not saying that he did not succeed, surely the pianist showed us that he knew how to approach this difficult art of flamenco, but the excessive playing of timbre with the other instruments eclipsed a pianist that they are fewer instruments, he would have given much more of himself. He had brilliant moments like the bulerías at the beginning of the show, in which he flirted with jazz, and very well indeed…”
Manuel Naranjo LoretoDiario de Jerez, a 4 de abril de 2000
But Manolo Carrasco apart from being a musician and a creator of very Cadiz music, is a wonderful performer. It cannot be forgotten and will remain engraved in the musical history of Cádiz, that Spanish Suite by Albéniz and those Andalusian dances by Granados that we heard last March; Pieces of Andalusian classics that we remember with nostalgia and that Manolo Carrasco's piano interpreted with an exquisite and elegant mastery.
Antonio LlavesCádiz Información, 2001
The musical equestrian theater “Al-Ándalus”, by Manolo Carrasco, in which classical music, flamenco heel tapping, dance and singing have some exceptional protagonists: horses. With this combination, Carrasco intends to flood the capital with the typical atmosphere of his Andalusian land.
Virtuous to the point of excess, Manolo Carrasco runs the risk of musical dispersion, but we can expect an adequate balance between discretion and research from his talent. As well as an effective harmony between the classic rhythms, any other musical adventures and that piano with a bata de cola that alternates with the tailcoat and that presumably offers many other tasty flamenco surprises, earlier than later.
Juan José Téllez Diario de Cádiz, 24 de diciembre de 2001
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