Short Biography
A creator of unique music and an outstanding performer, Anthony’s compositions integrate a wide range of complementary elements - a subtlety of beauty intertwined with feelings from remote regions of our soul. Discover the solidity and diversity of his pieces as you appreciate within them the qualities of Classical and Contemporary, Popular, Caribbean & Latin American Folk, and Jazz music.
Unarguably, he is a tireless performer, and his concerts vary from solo guitar, duos, trios, orchestras, and other formats. Most frequently, he plays as a solo guitarist or accompanied by percussion, having worked with great masters of the instrument, such as Guarionex Aquino, Isidro Bobadilla, Edmundo Rodriguez, Ronny Vasques…
His music has been performed on varied stages and countries, such as The “National Theater” of the Dominican Republic, on two different occasions with Gonzalo Rubalcaba and also with Egberto Gismonti; in Madrid, he has performed in grand venues such as “El Círculo de Bellas Artes” and “Clamores”; and he has also presented his music on national television in the USA, and also all around Latin America, North America and Europe thorughout TVE.
His compositions have received various awards, including the “Francisco Tarrega Composers Award” in Spain; “Casa de Teatro Award” in the Dominican Republic; and “Sr. Josephine Morgan Award” in the USA.
Welcome to the official web page of this magnificent composer and guitarist, Anthony Ocaña.
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Extended Biography
Composer and guitarist, born in Dominican Republic (“D.R.”) on march 7th 1980, in 2007 he becomes a Spanish citizen.
From an early age Ocaña discovered his love for music. At the age of 5 he started taking piano and violin lessons and at 12 he began playing what is today his main instrument, the guitar. He studied at the National Conservatory of Music of the D.R. with the recognized guitarist Ruben Gonzalez. In 1998 he received a scholarship to study guitar and composition at Manhattanville College NY. He studied guitar with Benjamin Verdery and composition with Ingram Marshall and Mary Ann Joyce. In NY he worked with important musical figures such as Elliot Magaziner (for many years he conducted the Frank Sinatra Orchestra). Anthony was awarded the “Sr. Josephine Morgan Award” by the music department of Manhattanville College for his professional and academic achievements. In 2002, after finishing his studies in NY, he decided to live in Madrid where he studied composition with Jesus Torres and guitar with Jose Luis Merlín.
In 1999 and 2001 he opened concerts for Gonzalo Rubalcaba at the National Theater of D.R. In 2001 he recorded his first album entitled “A Paso de Cebra” (Zebra’s Pace) along with the pianist Sebastian Lerner. In 2003 he opened a concert for Egberto Gismonti at the National Theater of D.R. for this event Anthony integrated the percussion in his music having the pleasure to perform with Guarionex Aquino. In 2004 he received two important awards for his guitar works, the “Francisco Tárrega Award” in Spain and the “Casa de Teatro Award” in D.R.
Ocaña is constantly performing his music at important concert halls in Spain: Casa de América, El Círculo de Bellas Artes, La Casa de La Moneda, La Fídula, Rincón del Arte Nuevo and Clamores. Between 2005-2006 he presented over 50 concerts in the geography of Spain.
In the summer of 2006 he published his second album entitled “Anthony Ocaña” based on compositions he wrote between 2003 and 2006. Several Dominican artists where invited to perform at this album: Guarionex Aquino, Esar Simó, Sebastián Lerner, Isidro Bobadilla and Maridalia Hernandez.
On February 2007 he performed at the prestigious “Palacio Foz” in Lisbon, Portugal, this concert was retransmitted throughout Portugal´s National Radio. On March 2007 Ocaña presented an important tour in D. R. In November 2007 he participated at the Festival de Jazz de Madrid.
In the year of 2008 Ocaña is chosen to participate at the Circuitos de Música Injuve (National Institute for the Youth in Spain). Throughout the years of 2008-2009 he will be presenting a tour in Spain and other Countries in order to introduce his most recent album entitled “Solo”.
