About
Eric Vaarzon Morel (Amsterdam, 1961), great-grandson of painter Willem Vaarzon Morel, is a Dutch flamenco guitarist. At the age of sixteen he was taught by Paco Peña at the 7th Rencontres de la guitare in France. Inspired by this event, he moved to Spain at the age of nineteen where he lived and worked for two years. In the eighties he toured with the Swiss group Flamencos en route through Europe. As a regular member of the Cuadro Flamenco, he played the Dutch theater and concert stages for six years. After Vaarzon Morel established his name as guitarist with his own band Chanela, he collaborated with various artists.
Vaarzon Morel has worked with trumpet player Eric Vloeimans, guitar player Harry Sacksioni and actor Gijs Scholten van Aschat, among others. He played twice at the North Sea Jazz Festival. The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw has performed its compositions a number of times. Vaarzon Morel performed several times in De Wereld Draait Door.
Vaarzon Morel brings a new program every year in the theater and concert halls. In 2010 he performed with an evening-filling opera composed by himself about the life of painter El Greco. Vaarzon Morel combined modern forms of jazz and classical music with traditional flamenco dance and music. He performed with singer Brownie Dutch in 2012 with the performance De Nieuwe Wereld by Don Quichot.
Vaarzon Morel is a senior and secondary subject teacher at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and lives in Huizen.