Manolo Franco

Manolo Franco Barón was born in Seville in 1960. He studied under his uncle Manolo Barón and Antonio de Osuna, who gave him his first lessons at the age of 12. He continued his training in the Matilde Coral school and debuted at the age of 15 in the Festivals of Spain.
     He has participated in several international festivals as a concert guitarist, such as those held in Cordova, Stockholm, Istanbul, Frieberg and Tokyo, and in the Reencuentros Internacionales de Guitarra in Tarbes, France, the Flamenco Art Biennial in Seville and the Madrid Flamenco Summit.
     His discography features his solo album entitled Aljibe and innumerable recordings accompanying various flamenco singers — Carmen Linares, José Merce, Calixto Sánchez, Naranjito de Triana and others — and other musical styles related to flamenco. He has played for theatrical performances such as Stars of the Biennial, Cantando la Pena, Mediterráneo, Lances del Arenal, Compadres and others.
     He currently teaches at the Rafael Orozco Conservatory of Music in Cordova, a pioneering school in this specialty. As part of his teaching work he has taught courses in guitar festivals in Cordova and Tarbes, the Seville Biennial and the Cristina Heren Foundation of Seville.
     His artistic work has been recognized with numerous awards, such as Seville Radio's concert guitar award, the prize for the best accompanist in the Seville Flamenco Art Biennial in 2002 and again in 2004, and the Jerez National Flamencology Award in 2003.
     He came into his own at the 3rd Seville Flamenco Art Biennial in 1984. He was chosen unanimously from among a number of top professional participants to receive the first Giraldillo Award for Flamenco Guitar Playing, a prize granted by a prestigious panel including, among others, Paco de Lucía, Manolo Sanlúcar, Serranito, Juan Habichuela, Mario Escudero and Félix Grande.