© 2009 Waltham Symphony Orchestra

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Guests Soloists and Artists

La Conja, Flamenco Artist

La Conja, (Conja Abdessalan) is one of Flamenco World’s most versatile artists. She has developed a substantial international reputation as a dancer, singer, and choreographer.

She has performed at the prestigious Guggenheim Work and Process Series, in collaboration with New Yorks World Music Institute.

She has toured nationally and internationally with such artists as Jose Molina and Jose Greco featured as solo dancer, and has also appeared at Lincoln Center with Sarita Montiel.

Recent performances also include: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, in “Lorca in a Green Dress” written by 2003 Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz. JVC Jazz Festival with composer Maria Schneider. Rhythm, Ragas and Roots, with composer Osvaldo Golijov at Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Dancing into the 21 Century for Global India, a Kathak & Flamenco Fusion at American Museum of Natural History of New York. And The Great Mother Conference with poet Robert Bly.

As a choreographer her works have been premiered at The Teatro Albeniz in Madrid, Spain, The Joyce Theater in New York, Dance Theater Workshop and the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Concert Series. La Conja has been awarded three New York State Council on the Arts grants for her choreography. And she is commissioned repeatedly throughout the US to give master classes and choreograph for other companies. She has taught workshops at UCLA, Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, New York Universities Tisch School of the Arts,University of New Mexico, and Hamilton College. She has also worked very closely with theater Director Karin Coonrod on The Phoenician Woman performed at American Repertory Theater Cambridge & Moscow Art Theater.

Given her multicultural background (an American born of Egyptian parents with a Turkish surname) it is no wonder La Conja has naturally melded Arab, Spanish and Indian musical influences into her work. She weaves Flamenco music and dance together with original music and movement to reveal a uniquely modern performance.

Charles Jurrist of the New York Daily News described her as a mesmerizing singer and demon dancer, and indeed, her dancing illustrates a show of force characteristic of the Art of Flamenco.