BIOGRAPHY
MARIJA TEMO
Classical/Flamenco Guitarist /Flamenco Singer/ Flamenco Dance Coach
Marija Temo, described as a “triple threat”, and is widely recognized as a classical/flamenco guitarist, flamenco vocalist, conductor, and former dancer. She has come into her own, combining her flamenco and classical abilities. She actively performs as a soloist with symphony orchestras, in guitar concert series and festivals, as a flamenco singer/guitar accompanist, and has been featured in unique types of performances. She has performed for many dignitaries and with highly acclaimed artists, and has also received several awards. In addition to her versatile performance career, she is known for her teaching methods, educational programs, and workshops. Marija Temo plays a “Marija Temo” Model flamenco/classical hybrid TM, which she designed with luthier Tom Rodriguez. Ms. Temo has also received the endorsement of D’Addario Strings.
Currently, Ms. Temo is Guitar Chair at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Milwaukee, WI, offering flamenco and classical guitar classes, and has taught in the bilingual inner city schools. In addition, Ms. Temo offers private instruction online. She is a former faculty member of the Preparatory of the Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University. She received her Masters degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, studying under Manuel Barrueco, and her Bachelors degree from the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, studying under Loris Chobanian. Ms Temo has taken master classes from many great flamenco artists, such as Paco Jarana, Paco del Gastor, El Viejin, and Pedro Cortes, but intensive studies with teachers that have had significant influence include: Marta del Cid, Bruce Catalano, Sophie Ginn-Paster, Teo Morca, and Manolo Leiva. For more information, see http://marijatemo.com.
Symphony orchestra highlights include: “Tango Fantasy” and “Concierto del Fuego”, two works for guitar and orchestra, that explore the characteristic qualities of Flamenco, written for Ms. Temo by Loris Chobanian; Lecuona’s “Malaguena”, performed and arranged by Ms. Temo for orchestra, flamenco guitar, voice, and dance; “Multi-Talented Marija”, a Spanish program Ms. Temo devised for Children’s Series, showcasing all her talents, including conducting and elaborate audience participation; Falla’s “El Amor Brujo”, which she has frequently performed as a featured flamenco vocalist and former dancer. (In 2012, she was the guest singer in the production of El Amor Brujo with the Peridance Contemporary Dance Co. and musicians from Julliard in NYC, where she also received great reviews.); Falla’s “Canciones Populares”, which she performed and arranged for orchestra, flamenco guitar, and voice; and Joaquin Rodrigo’s guitar concerto, “Concierto de Aranjuez”, which she has played several times. Ms. Temo has appeared in Pops, Children’s, and/or Main Series programs with the Baltimore Symphony (with whom she has appeared in more than 16 concerts for their Youth Series), and orchestras such as the Calgary, Edmonton, Florida, Alexandria, Hilton Head, Kennett, Parma, and Ocean City Pops Symphonies.
Solo concerts feature Ms. Temo’s programs of classical/flamenco guitar and voice and sometimes an additional flamenco dancer, have been featured in several guitar festivals and music and guitar series in the US and abroad. Some highlights include: The NY Guitar Festival “Tribute to Julian Bream” (2020) and other guest appearances throughout the years, NYC, NY; The Guitar Foundation of America International Guitar Festival and Competition (2017), Fullerton, CA (where she was a guest soloist and a judge for the competition, and received reviews in Soundboard and Classical Guitar Magazine) and judge for GFA Competition (2020); The Radford University International Guitar Festival (2021); International Guitar Festival Series in Asunción, Paraguay, “Women Guitarists and Composers” in Radford, VA; VCU Flamenco Guitar Festival, Richmond, VA; The First World Guitar Congress (where she was also a guest speaker in a symposium with David Russell and Tuck and Patti), Towson, MD; The Ellnora Guitar Festival, Champaign, IL; the Blossom Music Festival, Cleveland, OH; Fairfax County Virginia Summer Series, Vienna, VA; LMU Guitar Festival, Los Angeles, CA; the Baltimore, Connecticut, Calgary, and St. Louis Classical Guitar Society Series; GSFA (Guitar Society of Fine Art) Classical Guitar Society Series, Pittsburgh, PA; The Theatre at Washington, VA (where she shared the stage with Gene Bertoncini and Frank Vignola), The Baldwin-Wallace World Music Series, Berea, OH.; Headliner concert for the Festival of Trees and Music at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Milwaukee, WI; and solo concerts on the Zac Brown Band Southern Sailing Ground Cruise. Ms. Temo was featured in Classical Guitar Magazine’s (April 2012) issue.
Unique performances featuring Ms. Temo include: Contestant on La Voz US, with a 4 chair turn from judges, Carlos Vives, Luis Fonsi, Alejandra Guzman, and Wisin (2020); Composer and Arranger for “The Flamenco Nutcracker” Production (2021); Presenting at the world largest Bachata Festival (2015), (Temo’s guitar and vocal arrangement of Bachata song, “Alma Desnuda” by Oub Lck), Washington, DC; Guest soloist with the Zac Brown Band, Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA (2014), Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD (2013 and 2014); Music for GE Capital/ Taylor Guitar national television commercial (2010), (which received an award for being top commercial in the industry); NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) in Anaheim, CA (where Temo shared the stage with Rock n Roll artists, showcased the new Taylor classical guitar prototype, and performed for the GE Capital team); The Taylor Guitar Factory in celebration of Bob Taylor’s building his first classical guitars, El Cajon, CA; Performances with Zac Brown, country singer/guitar player (where Temo performed a flamenco version to his grammy award song, “Toes in the Water” on the Southern Sailing Ground Cruise); Flamenco Documentary, entitled “Sobre las Olas” (the history of flamenco arts in the US); Chicago Flamenco Festival (2015-2017), with Wendy Clinard and Temo’s premier of an original work, “Farruca” for the Clinard Flamenco Quartet (flamenco dance, guitar, and gypsy jazz violin, and bass); Global Rhythms concert with Ulrika Frank, Madeline and Humberto Sales (where they shared the stage with Grammy award winning percussionists; Egui Castrillo, Glen Velez, Victor Mendoza; Jazz trombonist, Robin Eubanks; and Indian tabla player and singer, Srinivas), Miami University, Oxford, OH; “Man of La Mancha” with the Annapolis Chorale and Orchestra (Temo was a featured flamenco guitarist and vocalist, and also accompanied guest vocalists, Fatinah Tilfah and Shouvik Mondle), Annapolis, MD; an arrangement by Temo of The “National Anthem” for guitar, dilruba, voice, and tabla (which she presented at the Library of Congress for the National Conference on establishing the Sikh collection); “Fuego Ibérico” (a flamenco musical set in cabaret style, centered around Ms. Temo’s talents, in which arrangements of Lecuona’s orchestral music are blended with pure flamenco); Falla’s “El Amor Brujo” (which Temo performed and arranged for violin, piano, flamenco guitar and voice); Lorca’s “Blood Wedding” (a production for which she composed, arranged, and performed the music); Latin festival (where she performed her flamenco/pop crossover music as opener for La India); “Flamenco and Lorca” (a program of poetry, narrated by Nancy Hirsche, with flamenco guitar, voice, and dance accompaniment); Lorca’s “Yerma” (for which Ms. Temo composed and recorded the vocal music;) Ms. Temo’s performances as guest accompanist with the Alberta and Cleveland Ballet Companies; and feature presentations showcasing Ms. Temo’s talents on PBS television specials in Ohio and Maryland.
Accompanist as Flamenco Vocalist and/or Guitarist include some of the following highlights: Currently, Ms. Temo is part of the Flamenco Quartet Project [flamenco dance (Wendy Clinard), guitar/singer (Marija Temo), gypsy jazz/classical/middle eastern violinist (Steve Gibons), and a rotating guest artist, based in Chicago, IL.
Temo has been a guest artist for Ensemble Espanol and a paraticular highlight, a guest artist for their 40th American Spanish Dance & Music Festival, Chicago, IL.
Temo was part of a duo with Ulrika Frank (flamenco dancer & choreographer). Together they toured for 4 years after an extensive period working together. Their Flamenco Completo™ Workshops united dancers, guitarists, and singers in the same workshop, and their performances heightened in 2012, where they premiered their duo woman production entitled, Mano a Mano (Hand to Hand), an embodiment of flamenco, classical, and contemporary styles in guitar, singing, and dance. Mano a Mano tours included: Flamenco Festival VCU Guitar Series, VCU Flamenco Festival III in Richmond, VA, at the Mayfield Village Performing Arts Center, Mayfield, OH; Kennett Symphony Orchestra, Kennett Square, PA; Teatro Ruben Dario, Managua, Nicaragua; The GSFA (Guitar Society of Fine Art) Pittsburgh, PA; the World Music Series at Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, OH; and Long Island University, Long Island, NY).
Other past accompanying highlights include: Teo Morca (flamenco dancer), (with whom Temo had worked with for over 10 years consecutively for his All Flamenco Dance Workshop), Bellingham, WA, and 2 years at Taos, NM. (Ms. Temo was also invited with Morca to represent the US in the first Flamenco Festival in Tateyama, Japan.); Manolo Leiva (flamenco singer), (with whom she worked extensively for over 15 years throughout MD and in Seattle, WA); (Singers-Jesus Montoya, La Conja, Manolo Segura, and Jose Fernandez); (Guitarists- Juan Serrano, Paco Peña, and Oscar López); (Dancers- Lola and Carmela Greco, Sara de Luis, Antonio Vargas, Alice Blumenfeld, Wendy Clinard, La Romera, Carlota Santana, and Miriam Phillips); (Productions- Corazon Flamenco’s presentation of “El Amor Brujo“, Director, Irene Rimer, Birmingham, AL; Pasion y Arte “Flamenco de las Americas”, Director, Elba Hevia y Vaca, Philadelphia, PA; “Café Flamenco” & “Dentro”, Director, Ulrika Frank, Washington DC and Rockville, MD; “Salidas”, Director, Martha Sidahmed, Atlanta, GA); Toronto International Flamenco Festival with Hali Dale (flamenco dancer), Toronto, Ontario; and the Fairmount Spanish Dance Co., Cleveland, OH.
In workshops, Marija has accompanied artists such as: Carmela and Lola Greco, La Tati, La Farruca, Carlos Rodriguez, and Angel Rojas. Marija continues to be a flamenco accompanist for artists and dance companies throughout the US.
Special educational programs & workshops:
Flamenco Amazement, a lecture-presentation of flamenco guitar, singing, and dance for children, teens, and adults with active audience participation. Flamenco Amazement has presented in venues such as The Prince George’s County Libraries; DC National Aquarium (ages 3 and up), Washington, DC; Midpark and Berea High Schools, Cleveland, OH; Arundel Middle & High School (700 students combined), Gambrills, MD; Revere Middle and High School, Bath, OH; Richard Montgomery High School (9-12 grade) and St. Elizabeth’s Catholic School (grades 2-6), Rockville, MD; The Collegiate School, Richmond, VA; The Siena School, Silver Spring, MD, The Wakefield School, The Plains, VA, St. Albans School, Washington DC; Westminster College, Westminster, MD; Behrend College, Erie, PA; the Backyard Theatre at Strathmore Hall, Bethesda, MD; the Harmony Hall Concert Series, Fort Washington, MD; Next Door Childcare Cente (preschool and K-5 children, Milwaukee, WI; Chai Point Senior Living. Milwaukee, WI; and in the US and abroad. Flamenco Amazement has been approved by the Superintendent’s Committee for Performances in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Flamenco Communication, A Specialized Interactive Workshop, created by Temo, (for Dancers, Guitarists, and Singers) on what is required from each of them to effectively communicate (interact, accompany, compliment, and improvise) with one another through a breakdown on the structure of flamenco dance and song forms. Marija’s Communication Course was offered for 10 years consecutively at the University of New Mexico International Flamenco Festival, at the Toronto International Flamenco Festival, and reviewed in magazines such as Flamenco USA, Flamenco International (London, England), and Dance Magazine. Marija’s method continues to be in demand in the US and abroad.
Ms. Temo continues to offer numerous Flamenco/Classical Guitar and Flamenco Singing Workshops throughout the US and abroad, as well as Private Instruction and online. She annually offers a live flamenco intensive to her out of state online students, where they meet altogether in a certain city for an intensive weekend applying flamenco communication skills together.
Award highlights include: a Citation from the Governor of the State of Maryland in honor of her being selected for the 2000 Maryland State Arts Council’s “Individual Artist Award in Solo Instrumental Performance”; an “Alumni – Achievement Award” from Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music; an induction into the Revere High School “Hall of Fame”, together with a music award named after her and entitled, “The Marija Temo Award”.
She has performed for dignitaries such as: the former Spanish Ambassador, Don Jaime de Ojeda; the Crown Prince of Spain; former Vice President Al Gore; the Russian Ambassador to the US; the Princess of Thailand; and eminent dancer Jose Greco.
Recordings include: Live recording of Concierto del Fuego (a work for guitar and orchestra) written in the flamenco style for Marija Temo by Loris Chobanian, Marija’s Pop/Flamenco Crossover singles, and a guitar composition, entitled, “Waves”.
