Bio

Based in the majestic state of Oregon, Flamenco Pacifico is a dynamic, professional performance group dedicated to bringing the art of flamenco music and dance to audiences in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Led by virtuoso flamenco guitarist and composer, Berto Boyd, the group's guitar-driven performances feature original modern flamenco compositions rooted in the time-honored forms of traditional flamenco. With inspired dancing by Elena Villa and Melissa Cruz, the passionate vocals and guitar artistry of guitarist/singer Grant Ruiz, and driving rhythms by dynamic percussionist Terry Longshore, Flamenco Pacifico takes audiences on an unforgettable journey into the fascinating world of flamenco.
Bios

Berto Boyd
Berto Boyd began his musical training on the piano at age 5 and has been playing guitar for over 30 years. A rigorous musician and a careful researcher, Berto has studied in Spain and performed throughout the United States with some of the world's finest Flamenco, Classical and Jazz artists. Born into a family of artists, which includes famed lead singer, Brandon Boyd of the multi-platinum band Incubus, he is one of the rare and few Americans who has dedicated his musical dreams to mastering the art of the Spanish guitar and composing original Flamenco music. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon where he is musical director for Flamenco Pacifico , artistic director of the Corvallis Guitar Society , and the owner of Berto Boyd Presents LLC . His first original solo publication " 12 Flamenco Etudes " was recently released in February 2018. In 2020, Berto signed with Latin-American Classical label Caoba Records . Berto has artist endorsements with� Shubb Capos , Royal Classics Strings (Spain), MiniFlex Mics, The2Mic, and  Alba Guitar Beads . In Berto's free time he enjoys transcribing music and skateboarding at the world-famous  Burnside Skatepark .

PROFESSIONAL

Berto and his group " Pacific Northwest's Beloved Flamenco Pacifico " just wrapped up their first tour since the pandemic with a standout performance at the  Oregon Shakespeare Festival's  Elizabethan Theatre selling 360 seats which is the highest number of tickets sold since the pandemic. During the shutdown, Berto enjoyed composing/recording at home and doing collaborations with fellow artists such as  Adam Del Monte's "Relampinos" (Virtual Guitar Orchestra)  and good friend Ben Woods (Tangos Collab) . In 2019 he performed with the Grammy-Award winning guitarist William Kanengiser  in the West Coast debut of  "The Walls"  by  Sergio Assad  with the  PSU Guitar Orchestra  and performed on the same bill as the Los Angeles Quartet (LAGQ) and  Adam Del Monte in a benefit concert to help victims of the  Paradise Camp Fire. Additionally in 2019, Berto toured with Flamenco Pacifico in Washington and Idaho and also debuted the new guitar series  Siempre La Guitarra  with virtuoso Classical guitarist  Cameron O'Connor . Finally in 2019, Berto performed selections of Suite Avalon by Jose Luis de la Paz with the  Oakland Youth Symphony  directed by  Omid Zoufonoun  with orchestral arrangements by Alex Conde . In 2018 he was a featured soloist with the  Salem Philharmonia Orchestra  with his virtuosic interpretation of the  Concierto en Re Op.99 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco  and performed at the  Ashland World Music Festival  in Lithia Park with Flamenco Pacifico. In 2017, he performed in the finale concert of  Chintimini Chamber Music Festival Classical works by  Castelnuovo-Tedesco  and Boccherini with a string quartet.

Other performance credits highlights include: Opening for the Gypsy Kings at Britt Fest with Flamenco Pacifico in 2015 as well as performances at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Oregon Country Fair 2015 and 2016, SOU Recital Hall and Pistol River Concert Series, �Flamenco Guitar � Past * Present * and Future� with Ben Woods at the Jewelbox Theater in Seattle, WA 2014, Co-Musical Director/Guitarist for �Calle Flamenca� with Bailes Ferrer in Miami 2006, Musical Director/Guitarist for �Flamenco en Concierto� and �Tarde Flamenca� at the Fountain Theater in Hollywood, CA 2006, and Musical Director for �Arte y Pasion� with award winning Flamenco dancer Timo Nu�ez at the Center Stage Theater Santa Barbara, CA 2004.

EDUCATION & MENTORS
In 1999, Berto traveled to Sanlucar, Spain to study with the famed Flamenco guitarist/composer/recording artist Gerardo Nu�ez. In 2003, Berto met his good friend and mentor � virtuoso guitarist & composer, from Huelva, Spain, Jose Luis de la Paz (former musical director for the �Ballet of Cristina Hoyos� for 10 years) in Mendocino, CA. In the United States, Berto has attended and participated in master classes with Grammy award winner David Russell, Christopher Parkening, Pepe Romero, Gerardo Nunez, Manuel Barrueco, Juan Manuel Ca�izares, Jose Antonio Rodriguez, and Antonio Rey. He has also studied music theory and analysis formally at Ventura College with Dr. Burns Taft, composition with Grammy nominated composer Miguel de Aguila, Robert Lawson, Luis Mu�oz, and Adam del Monte. Classical Guitar studies with Carlos Gonzales, Matthew Grief of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Tavi Jinariu, and James Bishop Edwards. Brazilian Jazz studies with Chris Judge (Gille Apap & The Transylvanian Mountain Boys), and Jazz Guitar with John Payne.

Official Website


Grant Ruiz
The son of a bebop saxophonist, Grant Ruiz has played classical guitar since he was 10 years old. After studying flamenco in Spain and with several renowned artists in the U.S., he became an active performer and teacher in Southern Oregon. Aside from classical music and flamenco, Grant has been influenced by jazz and rock music and Native American flute. He is a founding member of the Jefferson Classical Guitar Society based in Ashland, Oregon, having served alternatively as president, secretary, and treasurer, and is also on the Board of Directors.

PROFESSIONAL

Grant has performed in several productions at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, including the 2003 world premiere of "Lorca in a Green Dress" by Nilo Cruz where he acted as composer, arranger, pianist and guitarist. Other engagements with the festival included the 2008 production of "Othello", the 2019 premiere of La Comedia of Errors (composer, arranger, and guitarist) under the direction of Bill Rauch, and nine seasons of the festival's outdoor Green Show.

Grant has been a member of several ensembles, including Amor Flamenco, Alba Flamenca, the Dark Rose Trio with classical guitarists Joseph Thompson and Steve Berman, Do Flamenco with percussionist Terry Longshore, Bossa Rumba with jazz guitarist Dan Fellman, and currently Flamenco Pacifico, which he founded with Berto Boyd in 2013.

He has performed in several other productions around the west coast. In 2015 he opened for the Gipsy Kings with Flamenco Pacifico at the Britt Festival. He was one of 4 guitarists on stage for the 2016 show Spanish Guitar: From the Streets to the Stage� at the Majestic Theater in Corvallis. Also in 2016, Grant was the guitarist in the Oregon premiere of Misa Azteca by Joseph Julian Gonzalez. in 2018 he accompanied the Siskiyou Repertoire Singers under the direction of Paul French for their production of The Snow Lay Deep on the Ground. Also in 2018 he accompanied the Rogue World Ensemble in their show Southbound and later that year performed at their Ashland World Music Festival with Flamenco Pacifico.

Grant's recording credits include the 2001 release of "Grant Ruiz on Guitar," the 2007 release of the self-titled CD "Dark Rose Trio," the 2009 release of "12 Prayers" by James Twyman, and the 2011 release of "Verde" with D�o Flamenco, and Flamenco Pacifico's debut album Convivencia in 2017.

Aside from teaching privately, Grant has taught guitar extensively in Oregon, including at Southern Oregon University, St. Mary's School in Medford, John Muir School in Ashland, the Corvallis Guitar Festival in 2018, and at the annual Britt Guitar Weekend from 2015 to 2018.

EDUCATION & MENTORS

Grant began his classical guitar studies in 1972 with Maestro Seiko Sesoko in Anaheim, California. In 1987 he studied with concert pianist Julia Hansen at Skyline College in San Bruno, California. After hearing the indigenous flute music of R. Carlos Nakai, Grant studied flute making and performance with Mr. Nakai in 1995 at Crow Canyon Archeological Center in Cortez, Colorado.

After retiring from high tech, Grant pursued his passion for flamenco. In the United States he studied with Pedro Cortes Jr., Antonio Andrade, Roberto Castell�n, Jesus Alvarez, and Jason McGuire. In Spain he studied with Francisco Morales �El Pulga�, Lito Espinosa, and Salva El Real. His rhythm teachers have been Sudhi Rajagopll, David Mor�n �El Gamba de Jerez�, and Luis de la Tota. Realizing that singing is at the center of the art of flamenco, Grant decided to study that facet as well, leading him to study with Tony Rey Paez, Jos� Anillo, Jesus Montoya, Ana de los Reyes, and Felix de Lola.

I walked in on my band mates jamming on a Gerardo Nu�ez tune and found out that my percussionist Dr. @terrylongshore plays the hell out of the vibes! I literally had no idea he could improvise like this! Here�s a bit of info on maestro Longshore!

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Terry Longshore

Whether collaborating with multi-media artists, composing live music for dance and theatre, or premiering works by today�s most ground-breaking composers, Terry Longshore brings a dynamic voice to every musical encounter. From concert venues in the Americas, Europe, and Australia to flash mobs in Amsterdam, he has concertized and performed throughout the world.He is the founder and artistic director of percussion group Left Edge, and performs with flute and percussion duo Caballito Negro and flamenco ensemble D�o Flamenco. He has performed extensively with ensembles Skin & Bones, red fish blue fish, Conundrum, and Sonoluminescence, among others. He has performed at numerous festivals including the Bang on a Can Marathon in New York City, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella Series, the Transplanted Roots International Percussion Symposium, the Cabrillo Music Festival, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Festival of New American Music, the Britt Festivals, and has been featured six times at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). His compositions for percussion have been performed at festivals and competitions internationally.

Terry Longshore is a Yamaha Performing Artist and an artist endorser for Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Remo Drumheads, and Gon Bops Percussion, and is a member of the Black Swamp Percussion Education Network.

Terry Longshore holds bachelor's degrees from the California State University at Fresno (Business Administration - Computer Applications and Systems) and Sacramento (Music - Percussion Performance) and earned the master's and doctoral degrees in Contemporary Music Performance from the University of California, San Diego. His education includes significant study of Spanish flamenco and the classical music of India, including study at the Ali Akbar College of Music. His teachers include Steven Schick, Daniel Kennedy, Swapan Chaudhuri, Ronald Holloway, David Glyde, Chuck Flores, and Kartik Seshadri. He holds the position of Professor of Music at the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University where he directs the Southern Oregon University Percussion Ensembles and teaches courses in Percussion, Music Business, and Contemporary Art & Music.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Elena Villa
Elena Villa is an award-winning dancer whose passion for improvising to live music began with her first public belly dance performance as a young girl in the late 1970s. After being inspired by flamenco shows while traveling in France and Spain as a student, Elena began her flamenco training in Santa Cruz, CA in 1991. She later returned to Spain to study in Sevilla, one of the centers of flamenco. In her lifelong dedication to flamenco and Middle Eastern dance, Elena has pursued both cultural research and regular intensive study with master teachers from Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and North America.

Since 1996, she has taught weekly dance classes and frequent workshops in flamenco, classic belly dance, and Spanish Arabic fusion. Elena holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and has taught literature, film and cultural studies at the university level. She has also given lectures on flamenco and belly dance at UO, OSU, and SOU and has presented papers on these topics at academic conferences.

An active performing artist and arts advocate in her adopted state of Oregon, Elena is the current Performance Coordinator (since 2007) and a principal dancer for the acclaimed Gypsy Caravan Stage at the Oregon Country Fair, one of the West Coast's legendary belly dance venues. She also serves on the board of directors for La Pe�a Flamenca de Portland and appears in their productions as a featured soloist. Her recent work includes performances at the World Beat Festival (Salem) and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Green Show (Ashland) in collaboration with D�o Flamenco (Ashland), Shabava (Portland), Berto Boyd and Flamenco Pacifico.


Melissa Cruz
Melissa Cruz is a Bay Area-based flamenco professional and has been a full-time flamenco artist and instructor for the past 14 years. After being exposed to flamenco while studying Spanish at UC Berkeley, she began dancing with Rosa Montoya and soon thereafter, joined Ms. Montoya�s professional company. Apart from frequently performing in theatrical presentations, she teaches a full weekly schedule of flamenco dance classes and presents consistently in the local flamenco cabaret circuit. Melissa is also the dancer and percussionist for the band, LoCura, with who she performs and tours. Recently, she served as Adjunct Dance Faculty at The University of San Francisco, as a guest instructor at the world dance youth program, Danceversity, and currently presents her own apprentice dance repertory group. Melissa has performed as a soloist in the San Francisco International Arts Festival in 2012 and 2016 and has presented in eight San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festivals; in 2010 and 2011, as a featured soloist. She was commissioned to present a solo representing the genre of flamenco in the 2013 San Francisco Isadora Duncan Awards Ceremony and was a featured artist in the 2014 Tucson Flamenco Festival. Currently, she is principal dancer and choreographer for the San Francisco Flamenco Dance Company which debuted the show, �Mares� in September 2016. As described by Rachel Howard of the SF Chronicle: �Any dancer could make pained faces. But Cruz is clearly possessed by the duende � the spirit that drives this deeply introspective art.�


Randy Tico
Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Randy Tico took to music early, learning bass and studying classical piano. Out of school, he honed his wares in numerous local club bands, learning jazz, latin and rock techniques that he would later draw upon as the bassist for the internationally acclaimed jazz group Matrix. Tico�s involvement with Matrix began in 1978, and included touring and three albums��Wizard� and �Tale of the Whale� for Warner Brothers and �Harvest� for Pablo. Tico�s distinctive, melodic bass style, incorporating unusual techniques with harmonics, was a cornerstone of the Matrix sound.
In 1981, Tico�s connection and affinity with Brazilian music took a step forward when he began working with Flora Purim and Airto. He has toured the globe and recorded many albums with the famous Brazilian couple. Tico�s involvement with the music of Brazil has continued to grow with artists such as Ivan Lins, Kleber Jorge (singer w/ Sergio Mendes), Dori Caymmi, Cesar Camargo Mariano and Teka. In addition, he has recorded and toured with the Grammy award winning, world music group �Strunz and Farah� and appeared with them on the PBS television show �Sound Festival�. He is currently touring with Jeff Bridges.


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