Victor
Monge “Serranito”
one of the “three magnificent
maestros” of the 20th Century
flamenco guitar.
Victor
Monge “Serranito” is a legend in the
history of Spanish music. His virtuoso technique along with
supreme musicality confirms something well known in international
music circles: today he is one of the greatest flamencos.
His untiring work and innovative ideas to enrich flamenco
music brought the admiration of the great maestro Andrés
Segovia.
He
is one of the most conscientious composers, carefully balancing
the foundation and form of his compositions, something which
produces a remarkable perfection in his music. At each moment
his interior richness is evident, and the emotional experience
of human interaction with his environment and his own isolation
is illustrated.
Profound
and transcendental, his live performances are filled with
strength and brilliance, but also austerity: rhythmic silence,
strength and harmony, classic cadences highlighted by his
technique which grants each note a deeply Baroque colour.
Víctor
Monge “Serranito”, Spanish composer born in Madrid,
self taught professional from early childhood is considered
one of the most virtuosic Spanish guitarists of his era. He
represents an example of precociousness, genius and prolific
work in the history of the Spanish guitar. He received his
first lessons in musical education at the age of eight. Gifted
with a great capacity for performing flamenco, he began composing
at the age of eleven.
After
accompanying the foremost figures of the style, he edited
his first solo recording in 1963. At 21 he was introduced
to the maestro Narciso
Yepes and a coincidence
became an influence: the three fingered scale. In 1969 he
became an independent concert guitarist. In 1970 the maestro
Andrés Segovia
conferred an invitation via José Ramírez to
hear him play. He gave him his written, signed approval.
His
first major recognition arrived in 1971 when he was awarded
the Premio
Nacional de Guitarra ‘Ramón Montoya’,
in Córdoba and the Premio
Nacional de Guitarra in Jerez de la Frontera,
awarded by the Cátedra de Flamencología.
Since
1970, he has toured the world many times. Outstanding concertist
of his time and intensity he has passed into history as the
first flamenco guitarist to take his art to India, presenting
Spanish music on the most diverse stages of the world, such
as Strasbourg on the occasion of Spain’s entry into
the European Parliament in 1978.
In
1982 he gave the premiere of his work for guitar and orchestra
in the Royal Theater of Madrid with the Symphony Orchestra.
He has composed music for film and the official music of Spain’s
pavilion at the Universal Expo in Brisbane, Australia in 1988.
In
1993 he represented Spain in the Israel festival, Jerusalem,
Damascus, Iran, Iraq and the Lebanon, and he gave a tour of
Tunisia, Naples and Rome.
In
December of 1995 he performed with his group in Bosnia as
part of the celebrations for the Dayton peace agreement marking
the end of the Balkan war. In the same year, during his tour
of Canada he is dubbed the Prince
of Flamenco.
In
1997 he toured Russia in celebration of the establishment
of diplomatic relations between Spain and the Russian Federation.
In
1996/1997 he had a world tour representing Spain in the International
music festivals of Turkey, Bulgaria, Budapest, Rumania, Czechoslovakia,
Bucharest, Poland, as well as the guitar festivals of Denmark,
Finland, Germany, Italy and Central America.
He
was awarded the Gold
Prize for artistic merit by the
Council of Madrid for his extensive career. In the same year
he premiered his concerto “Echoes of the Guadalquivir”
in Madrid, presenting it in Greece, Switzerland, Germany,
South America and New York.
In
1998/1999 he began composing his concerto My Sound And Time,
premiered in the International Festival of Cordoba. Completed
a tour of Europe and all countries of the East, Central America
and Guitar Festivals.
In
2000 he interpreted Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto
de Aranjuez for the
first time, in the International Music Festival of Galicia,
with the Royal Galician Philharmonic, directed by Ernest Martínez
Izquierdo. Following this he performed it in Central America
with different symphonic orchestras of each country. Premieres
his concerto “Two Worlds and a Guitar” in the
Bienal of Seville directed by the maestro Narciso Yepes.
On
the occasion of Morocco Cultural 2000/2001 he toured throughout
Morocco sponsored by the ministry of culture.
With
18 recordings to his name, critics find in
him a musician who aims his proposal at proportioning a wide
dominance of the guitar, but taking compositional analysis
as his starting point, a sense of harmony, the expedience
of his left hand and delicacy of his right, norms which define
a style which significantly enters the revolution operating
in the guitar of the 20th Century.
The
most personal truth of this singular artist is the beauty
and graciousness of spirit. Freedom and norm: therefore the
difficult conciliation of the two creative tendencies of the
guitar movement in order to show his contemporaries how to
break the barriers of spatial narrowness.
Between
these two extremes arises, luminous, the life and work of
“Serranito” one of the most decorated and honoured
Spanish artists.
Currently,
he is working on his next recording which will be released
at the end of 2002, and presented on world tour in 2003.
Prizes
Received:
Premio
Nacional de Guitarra (Córdoba)
Cátedra de Flamencología de Jerez (Cádiz)
Castillete de Oro de las Minas (La Unión)
Honour al Mérito ( Universidad de Costa Rica )
Medal de Oro del Festival de Bratislava (Czechoslovakia)
Placa de Oro de Estrasburgo, celebrating Spain’s incorporation
into the European Parliament
Medal de Oro al Mérito Artístico, Excmo. Ayuntamiento
de Madrid (Spain)
Honorary Distinction in Honour of his artistic career, Teatro
Nacional Rubén Darío (Nicaragua)
For
aditional information:
www.serranito.com
