Sept. 9, 2005 -- Flamenco guitarist Ronald Radford will present a concert at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Union auditorium.

Radford's presentation is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Tribal Leadership Center and the Student Union. Admission is free.

Known widely in musical circles, this American Flamenco virtuoso has evoked standing ovations on four continents.  He has been acclaimed in Mexico City for performances, “equal to those on any Flamenco stage in Madrid, Seville or Andalusia.”

His Carnegie Recital Hall and Kennedy Center concerts were enthusiastically received, but perhaps the highest tribute comes from Madrid: “He has duende, the Spanish equivalent of soul!”

Radford takes the listener far beyond the usual guitar concert. He complements his masterful technique with an illuminating narration which recreates the very essence of this ancient folklore, Flamenco - the heartbeat of Spain.

A protégé of the legendary Carlos Montoya, Radford lived and traveled in Spain where he immersed himself in the musical wisdom of the Gypsy Flamenco guitar masters, in addition to classical studies with Andres Segovia and Jose Thomas. He is the only individual to be awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in Flamenco.  

His international tours have taken him to 15 countries from Australia to Switzerland and from Canada to Panama. He toured for the U.S. State Department as a musical ambassador in Mexico, Guatemala and other Latin American countries.

Radford’s Flamenco expression has been described by noted guitarist Oscar Ghiglia this way: “It is rare, even for a Gypsy, to have the gift to lead one into the somber, unforgettable world of sounds of the real Flamenco, and yet he - an American - is among the few who have given me this artistic experience.”

He was born in California, grew up in Oklahoma and now lives in St. Louis, where he continues his career as one of the most successful ambassadors of Flamenco music in the world.