VCU news

By Tom Gresham

The Virginia Commonwealth University Flamenco Festival, which will showcase three leading flamenco artists, will be held March 20-22 at VCU.

The festival will feature performances and workshops in guitar, dance and song. Concerts will be held in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. Star performers include guitarist Paco de Málaga, guitarist/singer/dancer Marija Temo and dancer Edwin Aparicio. The festival was organized by John Patykula, assistant chair of the VCU Department of Music and coordinator of the guitar program.

De Málaga and Temo will team up for the festival’s opening concert on March 20 at 7:30 p.m. In addition, Temo will host a flamenco workshop on March 21 at 11 a.m. in VCU’s James W. Black Music Center Recital Hall at 1015 Grove Ave., and De Málaga will teach a flamenco guitar master class at 2 p.m. in the same location. Both are free and open to the public.

De Málaga followed in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and uncle to pick up the guitar, which he has been playing professionally since he was 17 years old. De Málaga, who has performed for several heads of state, including two United States presidents, was recently awarded the Cruz de Oficial de la Orden de Isabel la Catolica, a medal given by King Juan Carlos I of Spain to artists for their contribution to the performing arts.

Temo is widely recognized as a virtuoso classical/flamenco guitarist, flamenco vocalist and dancer and conductor. Temo has been a regular performer for the Baltimore Symphony, appearing in more than 16 concerts, and has played with the Calgary, Edmonton, Florida, Alexandria, Hilton Head and Ocean City Pops symphonies. Solo concerts have been held at festivals in the United States and abroad.

Aparicio and company will perform on March 21 at 7:30 p.m. Aparicio is one of the most sought-after flamenco performers and choreographers in the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., Aparicio has danced on prestigious stages around the world, including at the legendary Casa Patas in Madrid.

The closing concert, which will take place March 22 at 4 p.m., will feature VCU faculty, alumni, the VCU Guitar Ensemble and the VCU Community Guitar Ensemble. The program will include flamenco selections and flamenco-inspired works, including two commissioned for the festival. VCU is one of the few universities in the United States that offers flamenco guitar lessons and the school has produced a collection of students proficient in the art form.

Tickets to the de Malaga/Temo and Aparicio performances cost $15 for general admission and $10 for students. Tickets may be purchased by calling the VCU Department of Music at (804) 828-1166 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased at the VCU Music Box Office, (804) 828-6776, 90 minutes before each ticketed event.