Mónica Iglesias y Luis Mariano

Mónica Iglesias, dancing

Mónica Iglesias (Madrid) is a dancer showing outstanding deep expressiveness, technical solidity and a very personal artistic quest. Trained at the Mariemma Royal Professional Dance Conservatory, she extended her learning with leading figures like Manuela Carrasco, Eva Yerbabuena, Rubén Olmo and Andrés Marín. She began her professional career with Rafael Estévez and Nani Paños and took part in the show Flamenco hoy, by Carlos Saura. She was a member of the Flamenco Ballet of Andalusia and the Spanish National Ballet, where she occupied prima ballerina positions. In 2015 she received the award for best solo choreography at the Madrid Choreography Event and, in 2018, she won the Desplante Award at the Las Minas International Singing Festival. She has also premiered her own creations such as Bravata (2019) and Tálamo (2021, Jerez Festival).

Luis Mariano, guitar

Luis Mariano Renedo de Lucas (Granada) is a flamenco guitarist with a long career recognised for his musicality, clean technique and capacity for dialogue with singers and dancers based on deeply expressive guitar. He trained with leading figures from Granada like Pepe el Marino and Gazpacho and began his professional career at the Reina Mora tablao. He has accompanied figures like Mariquilla, Estrella Morente, Farruquito, Diego el Cigala, Manuel Liñán and Juan Andrés Maya, and has performed at well-known venues like the City Center in New York, the Damascus Opera House and the National Theatre in Teheran.  As a composer, he has created the music for shows like Manuel Liñán’s Tauro and Mundo y aparte, and Fire and Sand, by Tatiana Garrido. He won an award at the National Guitar Competition in Jumilla.

La Bienal Flamenco Madrid, established in 2025 by the city council and with the dancer and choreographer Ángel Rojas as artistic director, has begun as a great institutional commitment to establish Madrid as the world flamenco capital. The first festival, held in May at venues like Matadero, Teatros del Canal, Teatro Español the Paco Rabal and Pilar Miró centres, brought together well-known figures like Farru, Marco Flores, Eduardo Guerrero, Vanesa Coloma and Sara Calero. Its programme was completed with workshops, congresses, conferences and masterclasses to position the Biennial as a new leading international flamenco event.