Adam del Monte 
One of the leading flamenco and classical guitarist/composers of his generation, Adam del Monte has made it his life mission to fully express himself in these two genres, transcending labeling and convention. Always having incorporated a wide array of musical styles in his compositions, Del Monte and has embarked on a journey creating a unique sound and language of flamenco that is both steeped in tradition and progressive in its openness to musical flavors from around the world.
Del Monte has recorded for Deutsche Gramophone – the featured flamenco guitar part in the double Grammy award winning opera Ainadamar by Osvaldo Golijov (2006), with soprano Dawn Upshaw and the Atlanta Symphony, conducted by Robert Spano. Since then, he has toured this opera in, Carnegie Hall, NY, Lincoln Center, NY, Barbican Center, London, Colorado Music Festival in Boulder, Chicago Symphony and many more.
Recently returning from Poland, del Monte was the featured artist in the Silesian Guitar Festival in Tychy, performing his 2 nd flamenco guitar concerto, Paisajes, with the Katowice Radio Symphony Orchestra at NOSPR hall in October 2022.
During the pandemic, del Monte composed and co-produced a Virtual Guitar Orchestra piece called Relampiños for 117 guitarists around the world featuring Angel Romero Elliot Fisk among many other stars, creating the largest collaboration between flamenco and classical guitarists to date.
Del Monte performed at the Marlow Guitar Series in Washington DC, as well as the Boston Classical Guitar Society.
Del Monte has recently composed a first of its kind Flamenco Opera. Llantos 1492, is an opera that integrates fully the flamenco and classical/operatic world in all aspects, including orchestral, aesthetic, stylistic and rhythmic. Scenes from Llantos was performed as a pre-debut at the piano, guitar and reduced cast of singers as part of the Tucson Desert Song Festival at the University of Arizona, on January 30th , 2019.
In 2019 representing the USA and with the generous sponsorship of The US embassy, del Monte was a featured at the Eurostrings International Guitar Festivals in Szeged, Hungary and Sarajevo, Bosnia.
He also has collaborated with Persian Singing legend Homayoun Shajarian and the Pacific Symphony with maestro Carl St. Claire.
Del Monte has toured Hong Kong, China and Australia as part of the Altamira Guitar Festival in 2019. He has been invited back to perform in the Shanghai Guitar Festival in October of 2019.
Del Monte has composed his second flamenco guitar concerto, Paisajes, which was debuted and commissioned by the St. Monica Symphony in 2012. He has since performed it with the Moscow State Symphony in Tchaikovsky Hall and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, in Caracas, Venezuela and the Katowice Radio Symphony Orchestra in NOSPR Hall.
He has recorded Avner’s Theme by film composer John Williams for the sound track of the motion picture Munich by Steven Spielberg. Other film credits include featured participations in Films such as Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz; Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, music by John Powell and Toy Story 3, music by Randy Newman.
Del Monte has also performed with flamenco singer Enrique Morente and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra at the Teatro Real, Madrid and, as well as with Lole Montoya.
Del Monte was both influenced by and inspired the younger generation of flamenco performers who were beginning to depart from the previous virtual space of Spanish flamenco. Del Monte, too, set out in new directions, integrating years of traditional and leading–edge flamenco training as well as expanding his musicianship on the classical guitar. An eclectic awareness of jazz, world music and other contemporary forms led to new, creative renditions of flamenco repertoire.
He has been commissioned by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet to compose a “progressive” flamenco piece entitled Cambio de Aire. He has collaborated with Yusef Lateef and the Atlanta Symphony at the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta GA.
His flamenco debut CD on the Spanish label Sonifolk (1998), entitled Viaje a Un Nuevo Mundo-Journey to a New World-was most favorably reviewed by Spain’s most acclaimed flamenco critic Angel Alvarez Caballero as well as Miguel Mora of El País and Alfredo Grimaldos of El Mundo.
Other discographies include a Mel Bay Artist Video Series, a classical and flamenco recital, and a GSP classical CD entitled Ezordio.
In 1998, Adam performed in Spain on the TV program Algo mas que Flamenco with Lole Montoya.
He composed his 1 st flamenco guitar concerto Ensueño Flamenco for guitar and orchestra which he premiered in Boston with the BMOP Boston Modern Orchestra Project) in Jordan Hall, conducted by Gil Rose.
In 1999 he returned to Granada to perform in the oldest Peña Flamenca, La Platería, as well as a tour in Switzerland with singer Curro Fernández.
In February of 2000 he performed the Concierto de Aranjuez with the LA Philharmonic.
In June 2000, he performed at the Hollywood Bowl, once with his flamenco ensemble and once with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and classical Spanish dancer Lola Greco.
Adam performed three times as soloist the Concierto de Aranjuez at Disney Hall. He has also performed the Aranjuez with the Pacific Symphony with Carl St. Claire.
In 2005 del Monte took part in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Chamber Music Series at Disney Hall, performing the Histoire du Tango by Astor Piazzolla with violinist Mark Kashper.
In 2008 he has performed his Flamenco Concerto and the Concierto de Aranjuez with the Ra’anana Symphonette Orchestra, conducted by Nir Kabaretti.
First Prize Winner at the 1997 Stotsenberg International Classical Guitar Competition. He studied flamenco and classical guitar in Spain, Israel & England. Beginning with his father, he continued his training with such famed Gypsy performers as Pepe “Habichuela”, Paco Cortez, Nino Miguel & Gerardo Nunez. His classical guitar teachers were Menashe Baquiche, Israel and Gordon Crosskey at Chethams School of Music and at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, England. He has also appeared as both a solo artist and group performer in major venues such as LA’s Mark Taper Forum and the Wilshire Theater; the Teatro Real and the Conde Duque in Madrid; Manuel de Falla Auditorium in Granada; New Mexico St Francis Auditorium in Santa Fe; the International Guitar Festival in Israel, GFA in St Louis,’96, La Jolla,’97 and Charleston, 99 GFA, Guitar Festival, the 500 th anniversary of Columbus celebrations in Paris and Madrid.
Adam has been on the studio guitar department faculty at USC since 2000, where he teaches flamenco and classical guitar.
He has played the Concierto de Aranjuez at the Sunriver Festival Orchestra with conductor George Hanson in 2016.
Some review quotes:
“Viaje a un nuevo mundo, primer disco en solitario del guitarrista y sin duda una gran obra, nos muestra a un músico plenamente formado y que conoce la expresión flamenca de maravilla. Del Monte es aquí un concertista polivalente, autor de una música rítmica suelta, muy grata de oír y de otra compleja y densidad, flamenquísima como es la taranta y la seguiriya.” Ángel Álvarez Caballero – El País.
“First solo album of the guitarist Adam del Monte, without a doubt a great work, that demonstrates a fully formed artist, that is completely and marvelously familiar with the flamenco expressiveness. Del Monte here shows himself to be a versatile artist, an author of music that is rhythmically alive, very pleasant to the ear yet complex, and intensely flamenco, like in the Tarantas and Seguiriyas.”
“Flamenquísimo” – Ángel Álvarez Caballero – El País.
“Tremendous applause and cries of amazement rewarded his playing. His name was whispered throughout the audience as the obvious winner. And at the end of a remarkable competition, he was the only person surprised to hear the announcement. Adam del Monte was named recipient of the First Prize at the 1997 Stotsenberg International Classical Guitar Competition Sunday at Pepperdine’s Smothers Theater.” – Dany Margolies, The Malibu Times, CA