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Rafael Montilla’s love for Flamenco music was inspired at a very early age
by his father, the singer El Chaparro, whom he listened to performing from
the age of three. Thus, Rafael Montilla soon began taking an interest in
flamenco guitar, and by the age of six he was already training with Antonio
Murillo, the guitarist from the “Zoco” tablao. His studies continued
a year later with Paco Serrano being his professor. At the present, Rafael
Montilla still continues to play with Paco Serrano both as a student and a
fellow performer.
Montilla’s professional career has witnessed him performing in numerous
renowned festivals and theatres around Spain and Europe. In Spain,
indicatively, he has performed in the Festival Flamenca de la Unión,
in the Teatro Albéniz in Madrid, the Teatro Apolo in Barcelona, the Teatro
Arriaga in Bilbao and in the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra in
Córdoba; however, he has also performed in theatres across major cities of
Europe including Estonia, Amsterdam, Zurich, London, Copenhagen, Lisbon,
Paris, Rome, the Teatro Scala in Milan and the Teatro Verdi in Florence.
What’s more, Montilla’s performance has been broadcasted by several major
European channels, including TVE, RAI UNO, the BBC and CANAL SUR.
Rafael Montilla has taught as a professor of flamenco guitar in various
institutions, including the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra,
Córdoba, the Festival de Música Folk in Zurich and as a guest
professor in the Rotterdam Conservatory.
More recently, Montilla has undertaken the role of musical director and
first guitarist in the Antonio Márquez flamenco company, and composed the
music for Márquez’s last production “Después de Carmen”, which toured
in major theatres around the world. He has also directed the orchestra of
Brasilia in the opera Carmen and performed in a US tour with the
world-renowned folk musician Carlos Núñez. |
