Benise brings his Emmy Award-winning Spanish guitar and dance spectacular, 25 Years of Passion, to Central and South Texas this August, with performances in Austin and San Antonio.
Music & Dance
For 25 years, guitarist and composer Benise has built a theatrical language around Spanish guitar, flamenco and global music. Known as “The Prince of Spanish Guitar,” he combines fiery guitar playing with an international cast of musicians and dancers, creating a production that moves between concert, dance performance and theatrical spectacle.
Two Texas Stops
The Texas leg gives audiences in Austin and San Antonio two opportunities to experience the production.
Austin — Thursday, August 20, 2026, 7 p.m.
The Long Center for the Performing Arts, Rollins Studio Theatre
701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin
San Antonio — Friday, August 21, 2026, 7 p.m.
The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, H-E-B Performance Hall
The Long Center confirms the Austin performance for August 20 at 7 p.m., while San Antonio’s Tobin Center engagement follows the next evening.
A Spanish Guitar Spectacular
25 Years of Passion celebrates Benise’s career by bringing together music and dance influenced by Spanish flamenco, Cuban salsa, Brazilian samba, Parisian waltz and world percussion. The production also reaches beyond traditional Latin and Spanish styles, incorporating Benise’s arrangements of classical works and rock favorites.
The show includes his interpretations of pieces such as “Moonlight Sonata,” “Ave Maria,” Vivaldi’s “Summer” from The Four Seasons, and rock classics including Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” The result is deliberately expansive: Spanish guitar becomes the starting point for a larger musical journey.
From Street Performer to “The Prince of Spanish Guitar”
Benise’s story is part of the appeal. His career began as a street performer before developing into an international touring career and an Emmy Award-winning television production. His 25th Anniversary tour revisits the music and ideas that have shaped his work while continuing his interest in pushing Spanish guitar beyond traditional boundaries.
Benise describes the show as a celebration of the productions he has created over the past 25 years, combining guitar, dance and theater. The current production is designed as a two-hour experience featuring an international cast.
Flamenco in a Larger Conversation
For flamenco audiences, Benise’s approach is interesting because it places Spanish guitar and flamenco vocabulary inside a much broader world-music framework. The performance is not presented as a traditional tablao, but as a theatrical concert in which flamenco is one of several traditions in conversation.
That crossover is part of what has made Benise’s production distinctive. Rather than treating Spanish guitar as a fixed genre, he uses it as a foundation for movement across musical cultures.
The Details
BENISE: 25 YEARS OF PASSION
Austin: August 20, 2026, 7 p.m. — Rollins Studio Theatre at The Long Center
San Antonio: August 21, 2026, 7 p.m. — H-E-B Performance Hall at The Tobin Center
Benise’s official tour describes the 25th Anniversary production as an Emmy Award-winning Spanish guitar and dance spectacular combining world music and dance.
WeFlamenco Fest highlights the artists, performances and traditions shaping flamenco and Spanish dance in Texas.