Compass Rose

Lara Wong's Biography

“ Emanating on-stage magnetism and artistic talent”

-Flamenco Jazz: Historia de un Amor

Born and raised in Canada, award-winning musician Lara Wong now makes her home in Madrid, Spain. In 2021 she became the first woman to win the prestigious “Filon" award for best flamenco instrumentalist at the Festival Cante de las Minas, Spain’s most important flamenco competition. She was also the first foreigner to win in any category in the festival’s 60 year history.

Lara’s musical journey began in the classical realm. She earned her Bachelor of Music in classical and jazz flute at McGill University in Montreal. It was during these years that she began to dedicate herself to flamenco. In 2012, Lara travelled to Seville to study flamenco flute and singing at the Fundación Cristina Heeren, where she learned from flamenco legends like Pedro Sierra, Maria Jose Perez, and Calixto Sanchez.

Today, Lara is an up-and-coming flautist in Spain's flamenco scene, performing alongside internationally acclaimed Spanish artists such as Tino di Geraldo, Pepe Rivero, Javier Colina, and Juan Andres Maya. Lara has played in numerous festivals in North America and Europe including Festival Arte Flamenco Mont-de-Marsan, Vancouver International Flamenco Festival, and Festival du Monde Arabe. She has also toured many countries, including France, Japan, Armenia, and Canada.

Rosa de los Vientos is Lara's first album and was released in February 2022.

NEW ALBUM: ROSE OF THE WINDS

Rosa de los Vientos was recorded in the flamenco jazz capital of Madrid, Spain at Scatcat Studios. “After winning the Filon Minero (flamenco instrumentalist prize) at Festival Cante de las Minas last summer, I strongly felt I must record my first album” says Lara.

Rosa de los Vientos means compass rose in Spanish. And like the eight cardinal points on a compass, there are eight songs on the album. Each song is dedicated to a place where Lara once lived and each song resonates with the unique flavours, emotions, and spirit of each place. Six of these songs are Lara's compositions and the other two, My Foolish Heart and Tango by Ryuichi Sakamoto, are covers.

Melón Jiménez is the producer of Rosa de los Vientos and also its main guitarist. The album also features exciting collaborations with prominent flamenco artists such as JM “Bandolero”, Tino di Geraldo , Juanfe Perez, and Masataka Suganuma.