Juan Carmona

A New Voice in Flamenco Guitar

Born in Lyon into a French-Spanish Gypsy family, Juan Carmona discovered the guitar at the age of ten, when his father gave him his first instrument. From that moment, the guitar became the language through which he would explore his roots, his identity and the limitless possibilities of flamenco.

His artistic journey eventually took him from France to Jerez de la Frontera, the heart of Andalusian flamenco and the land of his ancestors. For nine years, Carmona immersed himself in the tradition, learning through direct experience and sharing the stage and studio with some of the great figures of flamenco, including Joaquín Grilo, Agujetas, Duquende, Antonio Canales and Chano Domínguez.

Jerez became a fundamental chapter in his artistic development. There, he absorbed the rhythms, language and spirit of traditional flamenco while beginning to develop his own distinctive voice. His talent was soon recognised internationally, with awards including the International Guitar Competition of Jerez, recognition at the Union of Córdoba competition and the prestigious Paco de Lucía Award.

Returning to France in 1996, Carmona began to explore new musical territories. His curiosity led him into collaborations with artists from jazz, world music and other traditions, including Sylvain Luc, Larry Coryell, Marcus Miller, Jan Garbarek, Trilok Gurtu, L. Subramaniam, Mino Cinélu and Al Di Meola.

These encounters expanded his musical vocabulary without ever disconnecting him from his flamenco roots. His guitar became a meeting point between Andalusia, the Mediterranean, North Africa, jazz and the wider musical world.

Tradition as a Point of Departure

For Juan Carmona, flamenco is not a fixed tradition but a living language—one that can evolve while remaining connected to its origins.

His music is deeply rooted in the rhythmic power of flamenco, yet marked by a sophisticated harmonic language and an openness to orchestral and contemporary influences. When he composes a falseta, he does not hear only the six strings of his guitar. He hears an entire orchestra.

This vision led him to explore a new dimension for the flamenco guitar: the dialogue between the intimate language of the solo instrument and the expansive possibilities of the symphony orchestra.

Sinfonia Flamenca

Sinfonia Flamenca is the result of this artistic search.

The work brings together two musical worlds traditionally separated by their methods of transmission: the oral tradition of flamenco and the written language of classical music.

Carmona creates a dialogue between flamenco, Andalusian and Oriental influences and the colours of the symphony orchestra. The guitar remains at the heart of the music, but it enters into a larger architecture of strings, winds, percussion, voice and dance.

The work moves between intimate lyricism and rhythmic intensity, melancholy and celebration. From the meditative atmosphere of Django, to Hierbecita, dedicated to Paco de Lucía, the joyful La Isla de León and the brilliant Punto Cubano, Sinfonia Flamenca presents flamenco as an evolving orchestral language.

Carmona developed the orchestral dimension of the work in collaboration with Rachid Regragui, director of the Royal Guard Orchestra of Morocco and an expert in both traditional and classical repertoires.

Since its creation, Sinfonia Flamenca has been performed by more than twenty prestigious orchestras internationally, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Russian Philharmonic, City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and the National Orchestra of Lyon.

A Living Heritage

Juan Carmona’s artistic journey is one of roots and transformation.

From Lyon to Jerez, from the intimate world of flamenco to international stages and symphonic concert halls, his music reflects a continuous search for dialogue between cultures, generations and musical traditions.

He does not seek to reproduce the past. He carries its essence forward.

His guitar speaks through memory, listening, instinct and passion—preserving the emotional power of flamenco while opening it to new sounds, new forms and new audiences.

Today, Juan Carmona stands among the leading guitarists and composers of his generation, continuing to expand the horizons of flamenco while remaining deeply connected to its source.

Juan Carmona Septet

Sinfonia Flamenca — Live Ensemble

The Septet format brings the essential musical identity of Sinfonia Flamenca to the stage, combining Carmona’s flamenco guitar with flute, percussion, bass, voice and dance. The ensemble, in collaboration with a guest symphony orchestra, expanding the work into its full orchestral dimension.

Juan Carmona
Composition & Solo Guitar

Domingo Patricio
Flute

Isidro Suárez
Percussion

Sergio Di Finizio
Bass Guitar

Guest Artist
Singer & Dancer

Guest Symphonic Orchestra
with Guest Conductor

Juan Carmona’s music has been performed with leading orchestras and ensembles across Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas, bringing the language of flamenco into dialogue with the symphonic tradition.

International Orchestras

• Sydney Symphony Orchestra — Australia
  Conductor: David Robertson
• Bursa Regional State Symphony Orchestra — Turkey
  Conductor: Alessandro Cedrone
• City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong — Hong Kong
  Conductor: Chang Yin Fang
• National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra — Taiwan
  Conductor: Chang Yin Fang
• Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra — USA
  Conductor: David Robertson
• Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra — Russia
  Conductor: Alexey Shatskiy
• Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt / Brandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra — Germany
  Conductor: Victor Pühl
• Danubian Symphony Orchestra — Hungary
  Conductor: Péter Ács
• Norwegian Radio Orchestra — Norway
  Conductor: Dominique Debart
• Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra — Bulgaria
  Conductor: Dominique Debart

France & Mediterranean

• Orchestre National de Lyon — France
  Conductor: Jun Märkl
• Orchestre de Rabat — Morocco
  Conductor: Rachid Regragui
• Orchestre Régional Avignon-Provence — France
  Conductors: Samuel Jean / François-Xavier Bilger
• Orchestre de Basse-Normandie — France
  Conductor: Dominique Debart
• Orchestre Symphonique de Tunis — Tunisia
  Conductor: Ahmed Achour
• Orchestre de l’Opéra de Toulon — France
  Conductor: Mark Foster
• Orchestre de Bretagne — France
  Conductor: Stephan Sanderling
• Orchestre de l’Opéra de Marseille — France
  Conductor: Mark Foster
• Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon — France
  Conductor: Miguel Pérez Iñesta
• Orchestre Divertimento — France
  Conductor: Zahia Ziouani
• Orchestre du Conservatoire de Montpellier — France
  Conductor: Patrick Pouget

Flamenco Beyond Borders

Sinfonia Flamenca is conceived as a meeting place: between written and oral traditions, between flamenco and classical music, between Andalusia and the wider Mediterranean world.

At its centre stands the flamenco guitar—not simply as an accompanying instrument, but as a protagonist, a composer and a bridge between cultures.

Tradition as a point of departure.
Flamenco as a living language.
The guitar as a voice without borders.