Luca’s done it again

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June 17, 2025

Year 10 Thames High School student Luca Yamamoto won big recently at NZ Modern School of Musics’s annual competition for music students from the Counties Manukau / Coromandel area.

Photo Garry Brandon.

BY GARRY BRANDON

Luca’s Flamenco guitar playing bagged him two gold medals, two silver medals, and a trophy for ‘Best Under 16 Guitarist’.

This follows his two gold, and two silver, medals won at last year’s competition.

The golds medal awards were for his performance in the guitar section of his own composition, Distant Memories, and his performance in the ‘same piece’ category, where all performers must play the same piece of music.

The silvers medals came in the sight-reading performance, and with a piece of his own choosing, Pica Pica, this time competing against all the other entrants, regardless of their chosen instrument.

That’s pretty impressive for a guy who took up guitar playing only three years ago and only started to read music 10 months ago!

So, what got him interested in Flamenco music? Well, that’s down to his dad Nick’s varied music collection.

Luca has grown up listening to a wide range of musical styles, and Flamenco stood out for him. “I started listening to Flamenco a lot with my dad and it just continued from there.”

He cites as influences, Spanish players such as Paco De Lucia, Isaac Albeniz, Paco Pena, Francisco Tarrega, and more recent performers, Mexico’s Rodrigo & Gabriella.

Most people will have no idea who these people are, but Luca looks back in history and finds players that inspire him.

That inspiration, and an average of two hours practice every day has got Luca to where he is today.

So, what does the future hold for this young maestro?

“I might start playing electric guitar next year, but at the moment I don’t really listen to rock music, just mainly Flamenco,” says Luca.

Two months ago, Luca got his first proper Flamenco style guitar, an Almansa. “I wanted a guitar that was made in Spain and specifically made for playing Flamenco music. I’d like to go to Spain, to see and meet some Flamenco players, and get another Spanish-made guitar.”

His ideal guitar? Well, that would be one made by Antonio De Torres, known as the ‘Father of the Spanish guitar’. He was a master luthier born in Spain in 1817. During his life, Torres built an estimated 300 guitars, and most modern acoustic guitars are derivatives of his designs. It is not known how many Torres guitars have survived the last couple of centuries, but if Luca does find one, he can expect to pay up to $250,000 New Zealand dollars.

If he keeps up his playing and constant practice, Luca might just manage to be in a position to buy one someday!

Concert photography : Twitter : @GarryBrandonNZ

Guitar building : Instagram : brandonandsonguitars