Irresistible Spain

Distinguished by innate musicianship, a gift for communication, and an irresistibly joyous spirit, conductor Rafael Payare began playing horn in Venezuela’s El Sistema program at age 14 and started his formal conducting studies in 2004 with José Antonio Abreu. Since winning Denmark’s prestigious Malko Competition for Young Conductors in 2012, his career has advanced rapidly. He was Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Ulster Orchestra from 2014 to 2019; has served as Principal Conductor of the Castleton Festival, founded by his mentor the late Lorin Maazel, since 2015; became Music Director of the San Diego Symphony in 2019, and three years later became Music Director of Canada’s Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. In recent years, Payare has conducted many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including those of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Zurich, Berlin, Vienna, London, Munich, Hamburg, and Paris, besides making important opera debuts at London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; the Glyndebourne Festival; Stockholm’s Royal Swedish Opera; and the Royal Danish Opera.

Originally from Córdoba, Andalucía, Rocío Vadillo became interested in the performing arts at an early age. After graduating from the Advanced School of Dramatic Arts and Dance in Córdoba, she received a scholarship to attend the Cinema School of Madrid. She then continued her training in music theatre at the Carmen Roche School of Dance. In Madrid, she began giving dance lessons in the Antón Martín district, the birthplace of flamenco. Rocío spent fifteen years in France where she participated in various projects, including her own creations, Deseo and Trinidad, and the intimate Vous êtes ici, directed by Virginia Melgar. She has also worked on De nulle part et d’ailleurs (Al Golpe Flamenco) and Les mots d’amour (Compagnie Zambra). Alongside her artistic activities, Rocío teaches flamenco theory and practice at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens Studios and in high schools and colleges. Since arriving in Montreal in 2018, she has participated in major projects, including a music video for the song Par amour by Lara Fabian, and coordinated flamenco shows at the Club Espagnol de Québec. As an actor, she is represented by Agence Cormier, recently appearing in the TV series L’empereur, Alertes and Projet Innocence.

A native of Cádiz, Spain, Fernando Gallego spent his childhood in close contact with flamenco music and singing. When he was 9 years old, he began going with his father to férias and peñas where he would regularly sing; he has always been a singer. A charismatic artist, Fernando’s singing stands out through its blend of power, subtlety, and an infinite ability to transmit emotions. In 2017, he created AZARA, a group that explores a fusion of flamenco, Cuban music and jazz. He has composed several pieces, lyrics, and melodies for the group, and regularly collaborates with pianist Gabriel Evangelista, who is responsible for the musical arrangements. Since its inception, the group has performed in local venues in Montreal. Notable performances include the MUZ event for Vision Diversité, the Syli d’Or for Productions Nuits d’Afrique and the Latin Awards.

Jheinsen Montalvo is a Montreal-based Salvadoran musician born in Los Angeles. In 2000, he began studying flamenco guitar in Cádiz, Seville, Granada and Jerez de la Frontera with “Niño Jero” Perikín. He later studied classical guitar at the Cégep de Saint-Laurent before devoting himself full-time to flamenco guitar. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from UQAM. Since 2008, Montalvo has been involved in cultural mediation at the Cabaret Flamenco de Montréal, a non-profit organization of which he is the founder. From 2013 to 2020, he performed weekly at the prestigious jazz club Dièze Onze with his creative project, Montalvo Flamenko Jazz. In 2020, he also created the Montalvo Cuadro Flamenco, with the aim of getting closer to traditional flamenco. He frequently organizes masterclasses with renowned guitarists such as Diego del Morao, Antonio Rey and Santiago Lara. Jheinsen is profoundly connected to this world by the six strings of his guitar.