Brisbane based guitarist Gerard Mapstone is one of Australia's finest classical and flamenco guitarists. Mapstone won the Queensland Conservatorium classical guitar prize as a teenager. Upon graduating and developing his interest in flamenco he moved to Spain, whilst living in Jerez de la Frontera he studied with Jose Ignatio Franco, a renowned flamenco guitarist in Andalucía. While living in the UK he joined flamenco fusion band Candela. Together they supported flamenco greats Tomatito and Estrella Morente at the Barbican Theatre in London, along with WOMAD in Reading and the Spiegeltent at the Brighton Fringe Festival. Whilst in England, Gerard continued his studies with Carlos Bonell, guitar professor at the Royal College of Music, London. Mapstone’s performances have spanned across most Australian Festivals, and since establishing the DALeCAÑA Flamenco Company have led him into composing for choreography. In 2008 his solo guitar album Vuelta al Mundo (around the world) was released independently, and a piece of which he arranged for guitar and orchestra was debut at St John’s Cathedral with the Camerata of St John’s String Orchestra. Mapstone was a member of the renowned Doch Gypsy Orchestra, a 27 piece group of Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian and Hungarian singers, brass, percussion, strings and guitarists who performed together over the last eight years playing Balkan gypsy music. Together they performed six seasons at the Powerhouse Theatre in Brisbane, collaborated with the Great Siberian Circus at QPAC in 2008 and with Vulcana Circus in 2009. At the Sydney Festival supported Fanfare Cicalia and the Gypsy Queens and Kings at the Domain. The DALeCAÑA Flamenco Company was formed in 2007 by Mapstone and flamenco dancer Sylvia Arroyo. Together with a collective of musicians they created a multicultural blend of gypsy music using flamenco as the base of their inspiration. “Dance is an integral part of DALeCAÑA, bringing choreography and composition to the forefront of our performances”. Their debut concert was a sell out show at the Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre, and they have since had other sold out successes performing at Theatres and festivals across Australia. EN GARDE! Featuring James Sherlock, Shenzo Gregorio and Mapstone is a guitar trio established last year and has been a feature at the Spiegeltent at this years Brisbane Festival, Queensland Multicultural Festival and Q150 Shed Tour. The group brings and all guns blazing guitar extravaganza to audiences with original works fusing flamenco, Romanian gypsy music and jazz, quoting Beethoven to Paco de Lucia. |
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