Being a virtuoso is a gift: Antonio Rey

Antonio Rey, one of the best guitarists of our time with the international awards he received in the most prestigious flamenco competitions, such as the National Guitar Award in 2010, will be on the stage at CSO Ada Ankara for the first time on June 2.

Discovered by Gerardo Núñez, Rey proved that he is not only a musician but also an inspiring and surprising virtuoso with his album "Colores del Fuego" (2011), following his debut album "A través de ti."

Collaborating with artists such as Estrella Morente, Tommy Emmanuel, Vicente Amigo, Nishat Kahn, Manuela Carrasco, Farruquito and Rafael Amargo, Rey has so far taken the stage at many places from New York to Moscow, shared the stage with Paco de Lucía many times.

He released his latest album "Flamenco Sin Fronteras" in 2020.

Ahead of his Ankara concert, Rey answered some questions.

What are your very first memories about guitar?

My family are all artists and flamenco professionals, so I have been surrounded by music since I was a child and the flamenco guitar is a fundamental instrument and my father was a guitarist and always carried it with him.

Is the only way to become a virtuoso to practice hard? What is the difference between playing the guitar well and being a virtuoso?

I think that virtuoso is something that comes with a lot of practice, but I think the word "virtuoso" is when you get to play what you can think of at that moment, but it's a gift that needs a lot of practice.

You have worked with many world-famous names such as Paco De Lucia. What have these collaborations taught you as a musician?

The collaborations and having been lucky enough to have played with maestro Paco have been a...