SONIA & ISMAEL
SONIA OLLA
Hailed by The New York Times as “a furnace of earthy sensuality”, Sonia Olla was born and raised in Barcelona when she earned a degree in Spanish Dance and Flamenco at the esteemed “Instituto de Teatro y Danza” in Barcelona.
She has toured as company member and soloist with flamenco greats such as Antonio Canales, Eva la Yerbabuena, Rafaela Carrasco, Merche Esmeralda, María Pagés, La Farruca, among others.
Bailaora of international prestige, director and choreographer of her own shows, Sonia currently resides in New York, where she combines teaching with her performance and choreography career. Venues include The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Le Poisson Rouge, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Nagelburg Theatre, Baruch Performing Arts Center (NY) and Instituto Cervantes (Chicago), and various Flamenco Festivals.
Sonia collaborated with the world famous musician Madonna to choreograph the worldwide “Rebel Heart Tour” 2015-2016, having been chosen by the pop-icon herself. In 2017 worked with Ricky Martin providing Flamenco choreography for Lola Lola in his show “All In!”
Together with the Flamenco singer Ismael Fernández, her partner on and off the stage, Sonia has created a wide range of shows such as Tablao Sevilla, Entretiempo, Por Los Caminos and Tiempo al Aire. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The New Yorker, as well as Spanish newspapers such as ABC, El País, La Vanguardia.
Sonia has also made television and radio appearances on Tele 5, Cadena Cope, Radio Nacional de España, Punto Radio, Onda Cero, Cadena Ser, as well as the renowned Internet show “Flamenco TV.”
Sonia and Ismael are recipients of the CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI) Residency in both 2018 and 2019 and debuted their original piece “Ella” at CDI’s 5th Anniversary Fest. The duo have performed their own shows on tour in Asia and the Caribbean, at the Flamenco Festivals of New York, Santa Fe and Edmonton, and at the International Dance Festival in Havana, Cuba. She has been the guest of both his excellency the Ambassador of Spain in Washington DC and the ambassador of Spain in Trinidad & Tobago. In 2021 Sonia starred in Tomer Zvulun’s Threepenny Carmen at the Atlanta Opera, appearing as Carmen’s Flamenco dancing alter-ego, and Sonia created the original Flamenco choreography for this project and in 2022 performed in the Minnesota Opera’s Gala. In 2023 Sonia performed at the John F. Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, and presented a new show at the Pregones Theater in New York City. In 2024 Sonia performed as a featured soloist in the Metropolitan Opera’s premier of Ainadamar, along with performing at various festivals across the United States and solo shows in New York City.
In 2025 Sonia continues to perform in festivals around the US and Europe as part of Los Ricos, a innovative collaboration with partner Ismael. 2025 has already seen Los Ricos perform with Salsa great Anthony Carrillo in the collaborative Yambawa and Jazz phenom Elio Villafranca at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Los Ricos are currently developing their next full length concert, Pop Goes Flamenco.
Sonia and Ismael teaching artists at Berklee School of music, where they teach Flamenco theory. Sonia currently resides in New York, where she and Ismael offer the only Spanish Flamenco classes in the city.
ISMAEL FERNÁNDEZ
Described by The Washington Post as the “most charismatic performer” and a “connection to the Gypsy source”, Ismael Fernández was born in Seville, of Gypsy descent, grew up performing in flamenco festivals throughout the world with his internationally renowned family, “La Familia Fernández”. His career began in Spain’s premier flamenco tablaos such as El Cordobes in Barcelona, La Carboneria in Seville and other famous flamenco cuevas of Granada.
In 2004, Ismael won the National Contest of Cordoba, singing for the famed dancer Soraya Clavijo and was a finalist in the Festival De Cante De La Union. He joins his family regularly to perform in the celebrated Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla. Throughout his career, Ismael has worked with flamenco legends such as Antonio Canales, Farruquito, Marina Heredia, El Torombo, the prestigious Orchestra director Gustavo Dudamel and Rafaela Carrasco to name a few.
For several years, Ismael has been a featured company member of internationally acclaimed dancer Maria Pages, performing at The Joyce Theater (New York), Sadler Wells Theatre (London), Esplanade Theatre (Singapore), Orchard Hall and Bunka Mura (Japan), Teatro La Zarzuela (Madrid), Teatro Real (Madrid), and the Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona).
Ismael collaborated with pop-icon Madonna for her “Rebel Heart Tour” – 2015-2016 and samples of Ismael’s voice are featured during “La Isla Bonita.” He performed as a tribute to Alejandro Sanz at the Latin Grammy’s in 2017 singing for the gala naming Sanz “Mejor Perssona del Año.” Ismael lent his vocals to Ricky Martin’s Las Vegas show “All In!” for the number Lola Lola.
Ismael moved to New York City in 2014 together with the flamenco dancer Sonia Olla, his partner on and off the stage. Since then, he combines the Cante classes with performance at internationally acclaimed venues such as The New York City Center, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington DC), Carnegie Hall (NY), Jazz at Lincoln Center (NY), Walt Disney Concert Hall (LA) and the BPC (Boston). With Sonia, he is the co-creator of the Flamenco shows Tablao Sevilla, Entretiempo, Tiempo Al Aire and Por los Caminos, Ella and Gloria.
He has made several radio and television appearances, most notably “NYC Arts” (PBS), Tele5, Radio Nacional de España, Cadena Ser, Punto Radio, and Onda Cero.
Recently Ismael has toured in Asia and the Caribbean with the company’s shows and South America as a guest performer. He performs regularly in clubs in New York City, Flamenco Festivals across North America including Santa Fe and Edmonton, and Ismael and his company performed in Cuba’s International Festival of Dance. Ismael debuted his album “Trato” at Joe’s Pub as part of the Flamenco Festival New York 2019. Ismael performs his original music throughout New York City at clubs including Joe’s Pub, Club Bonafide (residency) and DROM (residency). With Sonia, Ismael created and toured with their show Gloria in the Caribbean, presented by the Spanish embassy of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Ismael consulted with the Atlanta Opera on the company’s “Three Penny Carmen” and in 2023 performed with Sonia at the John F. Kennedy Center, and Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, along with various performances across the US and South America. As Los Ricos, Ismael has performed with Sonia in festivals across the United States in 2024, also presenting solo shows. In the fall of 2024 Ismael joined the company of the Metropolitan Opera as a soloist in the Met’s premiere of the opera Ainadamar.
In 2025 Ismael continues to perform in festivals around the US and Europe as part of Los Ricos, his band with partner Sonia. 2025 has already seen Los Ricos perform with Salsa great Anthony Carrillo in the collaborative Yambawa and Jazz phenom Elio Villafranca at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Los Ricos are currently developing their next full length concert, Pop Goes Flamenco.
Ismael is a teaching artist at the Berklee College of Music and was musical director of the Spanish Ensemble’s performance in 2020. Ismael lives in New York City and together with Sonia, heads the studio The House of Flamenco, which offers the only Spanish Flamenco classes in the city.