Nico Angel—School Director & Master Guitar Teacher
“For nearly eighty-seven (87) years of teaching and music-making, there have been only three Directors of The Arlington School of Music, A Division of Arlington Institute of Music and Performing Arts ®”
Current Director, Nico Angel, has been with The Arlington School of Music, A Division of Arlington Institute of Music and Performing Arts ® since 1967 as Head of the Guitar Department. As President and Head Director for over twenty-five (25) years, he has both directed and managed The Arlington School of Music, A Division of Arlington Institute of Music and Performing Arts ®. Nico Angel teaches guitar in Classical, Folk idioms, and poplular specializing in Concert Flamenco Guitar in the style of Sabicas and Paco de Lucia (a very sought-after style of Guitar). Classes are taught at beginning, intermediate, advanced and concert level. Nico Angel has studied guitar in Spain, Mexico, Canada and South America with a litany of grand masters of the Guitar such as Sabicas, Mario Escudero, Serranito, Manolo Sanlucar, and Angel Romero to name a few.
Outside of The Arlington School of Music, A Division of Arlington Institute of Music and Performing Arts ®, Nico Angel has toured and performed for over forty (40) years with internationally-known artists from overseas.
Nico Angel’s Honors and Appearances
Honors:
Second Place Winner, First Chet Atkins International Guitar Festival and Competition Grand Ol’ Opry, in Nashville, TN, competing against over thirty (30) Classical Guitarists from around the world while performing authentic Classical Flamenco Guitar…the first and only Flamenco Guitarist in it’s class.
- Performer, Guitar Series, Akron, Ohio, Museum of Art.
- Nico Angel performed exclusively for Andres Segovia, Carlos Montoya, and Laurindo Almeida at Chicago’s Café Barcelona.
- Nico Angel brought to Chicago the internationally-acclaimed “King of Flamenco Guitar“, the immortal and legendary Paco de Lucia to Orchestra Hall and appeared with him in a performance of “ENTRE DOS AGUAS“. Nico later toured with Paco de Lucia throughout the southeast United States.
- Nico Angel contraced “Sabicas” giving a sold out performance on the Allied Arts Guitar Series of Chicago at Orchestra Hall that same year.
- Nico Angel joined forces with Pascual Olivera the Lead Dancer of the “Jose Greco Spanish Dance Company“, and with Angela del Moral, Prima Ballerina of the “Royal Ballet of Spain“, performing and touring with them for over twenty-five (25) years throughout North and South America as lead soloist and accompanist.
- Nico Angel performed with Spain’s renowned Flamenco Singer, Enrique Morente at Loop College in Chicago,the very first authentic Flamenco “Cante” or “Song” Concert in Chicago.
- Nico Angel toured with the fabulous Gypsy Flamenco Singer, Rafael Romero, throughout Cordoba, Sevilla, (Seville), and Puebla as his protege learning to accompany Gypsy Flamenco Repetoire.
- Nico Angel has accompanied the fabulous Flamenco dancer “El Farruco” in the early hours of the morning in Sevilla,Spain, along with other great artists of the Flamenco Art form as student accompanist.
- Nico Angel performed excerpts from Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto Andaluz” with the Pascual Olivera and Angela del Moral Spanish Dance Ballet with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
- Nico Angel won the Concerto Competition of the Chicago Musical College performing Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto en Re (D Major) for Lute and Orchestra…on the Guitar!… the very first guitarist to win this award in the history of the Chicago Musical College (CMC)
Appearances:
Nico Angel has performed with the Olivera and Del Moral Spanish Dance Ballet at Ravinia, Lyric Opera House, Auditorium Theatre, Urban Gateways (through the Illinois Arts Council), and the Illinois Federation of Women’s Clubs.
Nico Angel has appeared on television, in commercials and radio on WFMT-FM.
Nico Angel is currently Head Director of the “Los Flamencos Gypsy Ballet®” performing throughout the Midwestern United States. His “Ballet of Authentic Dances, Songs and Music of Spain” is available to perform for special occasions, such as weddings, parties, and events when a Spanish flavor with a touch of romantic guitar is desired. The “Los Flamencos Gypsy Ballet®” is available to schools for cultural presentations on the elementary, secondary and university level. You can view a special video of Nico Angel playing with the “LOS FLAMENCOS GYPSY BALLET®”
Nico Angel’s special teaching style and program for Guitar at The Arlington School of Music, A Division of Arlington Institute of Music and Performing Arts ® involves making a digital video recording of each student’s lesson that they can take home and then use it as they watch and study their techniques and interpretations on their computers and TV’s.
Professional recording equipment, lights and cameras are used throughout the lesson, giving the student a successful preparation and understanding for the next lesson. Each of his guitar students are given a glimpse and feel of the “Concert Stage” during each lesson. “A unique format!”
Audio Clips of Nico Angel in Spain
