Flamenco/classical artist Adam del Monte performs at Boulevard Music this week, so he told the News about what he has in store for Culver City…
When and how did you start playing, writing and performing?
I started playing the guitar at the age of eight after a long summer vacation in Granada, Spain whilst living among the Gypsies in the caves of Sacromonte. As well as learning the traditional phrases and patterns of flamenco and studying classical guitar repertoire, I would always improvise and noodle around as a way of self-entertainment, that eventually became the seed of becoming a composer. In my teenage years in musical high school, (Talma Yelin in Israel and Chethams School of Music in Manchester, England) I learned music analysis and theory and that served as a further basis for composition later on. I started performing with the Gypsies at the age of 11 for the tourists in the caves of Granada, Spain, earning $2 a day in 1977, when that much money was enough for candy, removable tattoos and a movie ticket, which I would go to with my flamenco buddies after performing. I would come home at 2 am and never felt safer.
Describe your sound…
Since I have both flamenco and classical training my sound is comprised of both the warmth and roundness of the classical tradition and the percussive and more aggressive attack of the flamenco style. Both are a necessary part of my pallet for both styles. Sometimes I like to use a more aggressive attack in certain classical pieces, like in Sevilla by Isaac Albeniz or the Three Spanish Impressions by Sergio Assad, Which I will play on April 11 at Boulevard Music; and sometimes I like to use a warmer and softer touch in certain flamenco moments.
What are your career highlights so far?
I have composed and premiered my own flamenco opera Llantos 1492 with Opera Southwest, in Albuquerque in February on 2025 to 4 sold-out performances, I have played at the Hollywood Bowl Three times with the LA Phil and with my former group, Carnegie Hall with the St. Luke’s Orchestra – the Grammy winning opera, Ainadamar by Osvaldo Golijov, I have performed my own flamenco guitar concertos in Jordan Hall Boston, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow with the Moscow State Symphony, and in Caracas, Venezuela with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, just to mention a few.
Do you have any recorded music available?
I have 3 solo CDs out, one duo CD with Naxos, I am on the Grammy Award winning CD of Ainadamar by Osvaldo Golijov. I will have most of these CDs available for sale at Boulevard Music after the concert.
Have you performed at Boulevard before? Any memories?
Yes, several times.
What can we expect from the set this time?
I will perform my flamenco compositions and some Albeniz and Assad.
What else do you have coming up?
I have nine more concerts in the month of April, in Madison, WI, and seven performances in the Bay Area. In June I will be playing in Seattle and in July I am playing two guitar festivals in Granada and Petrer, Spain.
Adam del Monte performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 at Boulevard Music. More info on the show at boulevardmusic.com.
Elsewhere this week
Culver City’s music venues have a full calendar of entertainment this week. For the Cinema Bar, that includes the Hot Club of Los Angeles (every Monday), Open Mic Night every Wednesday, Mal X, Paradise Vultures, The Pretty Pretty, Tom G & Edward Romero, Tom Gramlich, Ginger Merkin, David Serby, and more. For more information, go to thecinemabar.com.