DORANTES | musicaextraordinaria

DORANTES PIANIST & COMPOSER

SPAIN

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A gypsy from the city of Lebrija, Dorantes is descended from an Andalusian family whose members include some of Spain's most prestigious flamenco musicians and whose realm is centered on the guitar. Though he learned to play flamenco guitar well, the grand piano captured his curiosity and soon flamenco traveled to a new place in the hands of Dorantes. Study at the Seville Conservatory of Music equipped him to follow his instincts to create an entirely new flamenco sound, one that echoed the lament and pathos of the past while brightened by his innovative use of harmony and rhythm. Widely recognized by authorities in the field, today his work is known as "the flamenco of the 21st century."

PRESS QUOTES

"Flamenco in the heart, classical music in the fingers -- a highly explosive mixture of influences from Claude Debussy, jazz of all stripes, avant-garde sound elements and the music of Andalusia ... in shimmering colors."

Sven Thielmann, Fono Forum (Germany)

"Dorantes took us to the gypsy heavens."

Manuel Bohórquez, Diario de Sevilla (Spain)

“Dorantes and his flamenco group from Seville, Spain, gave the most thrilling performance of a packed weekend. Accompanied by virtuoso caliber electric bass and percussion, Dorantes proved that piano can be as expressive and emotional a vehicle for flamenco as the traditional guitar."

Larry Katz, The Boston Herald (USA)

“The classically trained pianist is in the vanguard of those trying to adapt the music's guitar-based forms to the keyboard. He showed Friday that he's more than up for the challenge. Replicating the rhythmic strumming and rapid runs of flamenco guitar, Dorantes raced around the keyboard with an unrelenting intensity ...”

Peter Hadekel, The Gazette (Montréal)