Juan Carmona is a virtuosic flamenco guitarist who has been showered with accolades, and though he is best known as a fiery live performer, he has several albums to his name, among them the Grammy-nominated Orillas (2003). In 1988 he won the Jerez de la Frontera International Competition, and a year later, he was awarded a diploma from the Jerez Flamenco Foundation, given to him by living legend Manolo Sanlucar. The Villa Médicis Hors les Murs honor followed in 1990, as did the Don Antonio Chacón trophy and more. In 1994 he won perhaps his most notable award to date, first prize in the Madrid de Paco de Lucía Competition. ~ Jason Birchmeier