Join Don Soledad and his electrifying quintet as they take you on a journey to Southern Spain.
“Arte y Pasíon” (Art and Passion) features original compositions from Soledad’s two albums, a new repertoire, and Don’s favorite compositions from Spanish flamenco guitar maestros, as well as other surprises.
Meet the Performers
Don Soledad (flamenco guitar)
Inspired by the guitar of flamenco legend Paco de Lucia, Don Soledad cultivated his sophisticated, soulful sounds in Northern California, beginning with his early guitar studies with the great Spanish flamenco maestros – Mariano de Cordoba and Agustin Rios, the nephew of legendary guitarist Diego del Gastor.
Don’s studies continued in the Southern region of Spain – Andalucia, in Jerez de la Frontera with guitarist Juan Diego Mateos and Manuel Lozano ‘El Carbonero.’ Soon after that, Don was performing shows in San Francisco and the Sonoma and Napa Valley wineries.
As a performer and recording artist, Don has worked with talents in various genres, including rock singer Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Jazz bassist Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin and Garage Mahal), and opening for the late jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell. As a composer, Don has recorded two original albums, “Camino de Seda” in 2006 and “Soluna” in 2013. He also recorded a solo Christmas album, “December Lullaby” in 2015.
Upon departing the West Coast, Don has been a mainstay in Florida and other US states, performing with his band “The Don Soledad Group,” who won 1st place in Orlando’s FusionFest 2020 for the “Best Musician” category.
Laura Pirela (flamenco dancer)
Venezuelan architect, dancer, and choreographer with more than 30 years of flamenco training and dance studies in Spain Academies (Amor De Dios), Jerez de la Frontera, and in Venezuela by hands of great figures such as María Magdalena, La China, Domingo Ortega, Timo Lozano, María Juncal, Miguel Cañas, Alfonso Loza, Inmaculada Ortega, María del Mar Moreno, Matilde Coral, Javier Latorre, La Truco, Carmen la Talegona, Carmen Garza, La Lupi, Pilar Ogalla and Concha Jareño, Adela Campallo, Patrícia Ibáñez and Belen Maya.
In 2016, she presented her solo proposal with the Jerez-born dancer Domingo Ortega on a tour of the most important cities in Venezuela, “No baila el cuerpo, baila el alma” (The body doesn’t dance, the soul dances) accompanied by the Spanish Antonio Españadero and singers like “el Trini de la Isla ” and Sonia Berbel. She participated as a special guest with the song vocal group in the show “Venezuela un Sueno Posible” in 2018.
Tanner Johnson (violin)
Lifelong violinist and multi-instrumentalist hailing from the Pacific Northwest. He is known for his instrumental virtuosity and dynamic performing style. With two decades of performance experience, he has performed with bands and orchestras worldwide as a soloist and a sideman. He studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music and is currently a regular performer at Disney World. As a special events performer, he has impeccable 5-star reviews and is a delight to audiences on all occasions. Notable performers Tanner has played alongside are John Patitucci, Ivan Lins, The Receiving End of Sirens, and The Dear Hunter.
John Olearchick (piano)
Professional pianist and music educator in the Central Florida region. Since 2007, John has been exploring the world of classical, jazz, and collaborative piano and honing the craft of teaching music to all ages (4-99!) and skill levels. Throughout this journey, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music, taught hundreds of private music lessons, lectured at the University of Pittsburgh in Greensburg, Valencia College, and the University of Central Florida, and performed countless jazz, classical, and musical theatre gigs from Orlando to Los Angeles. Notable names John shared the stage with are Harry Connick Jr and Bette Midler.
Justin Steger (percussion)
Professional percussionist since 2005. Steger is a Florida native and UCF alumnus. He is also the principal percussionist for Flamenco del Sol Orlando and has been part of many productions since 2015. He also performs on vibraphone in the Central Florida area with his Jazz trio and annually in the field of orchestral percussion with the Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra and the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park.
Admission: $25 member / $30 general admission
Group tickets for parties of 10+ (Promo Code: Group): $26
Online processing fees apply.
Remember to “Round It Up.” Please consider donating when registering for classes or purchasing tickets. Your donation can be as simple as rounding your total to the nearest five or ten dollars — or whatever amount you wish to give. Thank you for your contribution!
