Dominican/Spanish composer and guitarist. Today he is one of the major exponents of contemporary guitar and also an innovator with the instrument. He performs concerts for 6 & 10 string guitars, guitars processed through delays and loops.
From an early age, he began studying music in his native Dominican Republic, and at age 18 he received a scholarship to study composition and guitar at Manhattanville College in New York, where he graduated with honors. At age 19 he is invited to open a concert for the Grammy Award winner, Gonzalo Rubalcaba. From this successful experience where Ocaña performed his compositions, he decided to dedicate his career exclusively to performing his works and arrangements. In the upcoming years he is invited again to be the opening act for Gonzalo Rubalcaba and also of one of his most admired artists Egberto Gismonti. While living in New York he worked as a composer for the orchestra of Elliot Magaziner (former director of Frank Sinatra's orchestra).
In 2002 Ocaña decided to move his residency to Madrid, where he has been living since. He has presented hi music at some of the most important concert halls and venues of Spain, “Círculo de Bellas Artes”, “Casa de América”, “Teatro Biblioteca Francesca Bonne Maison”, “Clamores”, among many others. He has also performed his music several times at the prestigious “TVE”, Spanish national and international television. His music is broadcasted with frequency on Spain ́s National Radio, among other prestigious radio stations. He has performed concerts in different countries such as Portugal, France, USA, etc. Ocaña has also published four albums “A Paso de Cebra” w/Sebastian Lerner (2001), “Anthony Ocaña” (2006), “Solo” (2008) and “Wet Fields” (2010), having received great reviews for each one of them.
In 2010 Ocaña receives to important awards “100Latinos” (for being one of the most influential latinos in Madrid) and the CONDEX award given by the president of the Dominican Republic for his artistic trajectory.
At the moment Ocaña is working on composing chamber music for guitar and other instruments. He is also receiving commissions to compose music for different ensembles and soloists such as pianist “Humberto Quagliata” or the “New Music New York” ensemble. He is also working on a collaborative album with flamenco guitarist Flavio Rodrigues, trying to expand the stylistic boundaries of the guitar and with it taking the classical guitar into new arenas, performing concerts in places where the classical guitar has never been to.
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