Hailed as “A fantastic flamenco guitarist” (BBC Radio 3), Samuel is fast establishing himself as one of Europe’s leading flamenco musicians. Since 2007 he has performed in venues across the UK, Europe and North America. In 2019 he recorded his début album ‘Guitar, The Heart of Spain’ at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. In solo performances Samuel is known for presenting beautifully crafted flamenco guitar sets that bring to life the rich colours, rhythms and sounds of Andalucía. Whilst best known for his work as a soloist, Samuel is also a committed ensemble musician. He is regularly invited to accompany flamenco dance troupes in the UK and is currently preparing for a series of concerto performances. Past collaborative projects have included performing and recording alongside the classical guitarist Michael Christian Durrant, and touring with a handpicked company of flamenco dancers and singers under the ensemble name Flamenco Puro.
When not on tour or recording, Samuel enjoys passing on his musical knowledge through teaching. As an educator, Samuel has experience teaching flamenco to all ages and ability levels. His teaching philosophy emphasises rounded musicianship and understanding the flamenco tradition in its totality, from solo guitar playing to accompaniment. Alongside this, Samuel’s teaching approach also stresses the importance of developing: strong rhythmic awareness, an ability to play by ear, and understanding music theory and composition. He currently serves as a ‘Short Courses Tutor’ at Leeds Conservatoire in the UK and also works with private students each week via Zoom. Previously Samuel served as ‘Course Leader for Flamenco Guitar Studies’ at the Instituto de Cervantes (2012- 2017), the Spanish government’s international institute for language and culture. Furthermore, he has also led workshops at The University of Cambridge, The University of Leeds, Newcastle University and International Guitar Foundation events.
Samuel initially learnt his craft by working with the recordings of great flamenco maestros of the past and producing transcriptions of their pieces. He later became a student of the world-renowned flamenco guitarist Juan Martín. This five-year period of study was funded by Arts Council England and Help Musicians UK. Always keen to learn, Samuel has also studied with maestro Grisha Goryachev and attended master classes led by other leading flamenco artists, including the great Paco Peña. Notably, Samuel was awarded a £10,000 ‘Developing Your Creative Practice Grant’ by Arts Council England in 2019, allowing him to work and study in Spain. The focus of these studies was to refine Samuel’s accompaniment skills with some of Andalucía’s foremost Gitano (Gypsy) singers, including the multi award winning Amparo Heredia ‘La Repompilla’ and Antonio Aparecida.
Amongst Samuel’s other notable achievements are the establishment and overseeing of the Leeds International Flamenco Festival between 2013 and 2017. He also worked as an orchestral transcriber for the Gil Evans Estate between 2010 and 2013. The legendary jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell, a former member of the Gil Evans Orchestra, later described Samuel’s reconstructed scores as “Masterful … The results are truly special”. Furthermore, in 2017 Samuel was commissioned to compose music for the major film ‘Lost In London’. Samuel also appeared in the film itself, performing his solo compositions in a scene featuring the Hollywood actors Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson.
Samuel plays Kevin Richards concert guitars and is an affiliated artist of Bam Cases, DPA Microphones and AER Amplifiers. He is also a proud supporter of Laguna Taracea, a family-run artisan business based in the Alhambra Palace in Granada (Spain).
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