Jonathan “Juanito” Pascual has been called “one of the greatest American flamenco guitarists.” He is a multifaceted guitarist, composer, and teacher who has performed in styles ranging from jazz and blues, to classical guitar, klezmer, as well as flamenco. Based in Boston, Juanito tours frequently throughout the U.S. and has played for most of the country’s major flamenco dance companies including those of Omayra Amaya, Ramon de los Reyes, Jose Greco II, Carlota Santana, La Repompa de Málaga, Inés Arrubla, and Susana di Palma. He has performed in major festivals around the country including the 2003 Tanglewood Jazz Festival, (broadcast live on National Public Radio), Festival Flamenco Internacional in Albuquerque, Yale’s International Festival of Arts and Ideas, and New York City’s Fringe Festival.

Juanito has performed as a soloist and as leader of his own ensemble to sold out audiences throughout the East Coast. He was a featured performer in Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts as a featured artist in their Art of the Guitar concert series in 2000 and was the opening for Michel Camilo at Cambridge's Sanders Theater in 2004.
He has been seen and heard nationally on a variety of TV and radio programs including NPR's "The World" and "Here and Now".
He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory where he graduated with honors in 1997, and was Second Prize winner in the 1996 New England Classical guitar Competition.

Juanito first picked up the guitar at age eleven discovering flamenco music at age fifteen. This led him to Spain the following year where he was immeresed in the flamenco culture, studying with teachers including Adam del Monte, Parilla de Jerez, Manolo Sanlucar, and El Entri. While at NEC Juanito’s teachers included classical guitarists David Leisner and Eliot Fisk and jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini. Most recently, he has been mentored by the Boston based maestro Dimitri Goryachev.
In addition to a busy performance schedule, Juanito is very active as an educator, both as private instructor in the Boston area, as well as lecturer/performer, giving frequent presentations and workshops at colleges and schools throughout the country. As a teacher he is devoted to the pursuit of guitar as a means to reveal each individual’s unique musical and personal potential, and to sharing the beauty, spirituality, and expressive power of the art of flamenco.

In 2003 Juanito completed his first CD “Cosas en Común” of all original flamenco compositions. The work has received critical acclaim and frequent radio play in the US. and abroad. In addition to touring with his group Juanito collobrated on a chamber opera by Osvoldo Golijov which had its debut at Tanglewood in 2003 featuring soprano Dawn Upshaw. He has also co-composed and performed his first film score, for an animated short film about Southern Spain by Karen Aqua and Joanna Priestley. Currently Juanito is working on a number of exciting projects including his second solo CD, a duo project with guitarist Grisha Goryachev and a concert tour with pianist Jose Maria Amador "El Piani" to be announced soon.

Listen to the sounds of Jonathan "Juanito" Pascual.