Daily Inspiration: Meet Marisa Sardo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisa Sardo.

Hi Marisa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started playing the classical guitar when I was four years old. Since then, I have become an active musician in music scenes all over the world. I love to bring a uniquely feminine perspective to my global audiences, and I often include a variety of diverse music in my programs, including music written by women, new music, African music, South American music, European romantic music, and music written for me. I pursued degrees in music and guitar performance from New England Conservatory, Northwestern University, and Indiana University, and while studying with renowned classical guitar pedagogues, I began to further identify with my own femininity. I remain steadfast in my belief that diversity and inclusion are needed for women to thrive in today’s musical ecosystem.

In my estimation, the musical world far too often considers the feminine sound to be “incorrect” when it should just be perceived as “unique” and just as important, reciprocal, and integral to the music world. Through my work as a female guitarist and music activist, I hope to bring a unique perspective to diversity in music, and I will continue to bring my music to all cultures around the world! My music has taken me all over the world, including all over the US, Brazil, Italy, The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Germany, and many more, as both a performer and educator. I have recently moved to Belgium, and I’m excited to continue my career in Europe!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I love the classical guitar environment. Most of my career has been met with support and appreciation by my mentor, family, friends, and the fans, of course, who are simply the best! However, I found a major challenge while searching for my musical identity due to an inequitable, gender-based environment. It has not always been a smooth road. In 2021, I was lost. I felt anxious and unsure of my musical abilities. I had experienced discouragement, and it was difficult to overcome. I had lost my confidence, and my love of music turned burdensome. I needed to believe that my feminine musicality is not burdensome but remarkable and extraordinary. That was the moment I decided to reinvent myself. Starting from basic technical exercises, I took being weakened as an opportunity to uncover my own methods and turned it into a strength. I found that when playing the guitar, one plays with the whole body, and so variations in the width of shoulders, hips, length of arms, width of hands, length of torso, length of fingers, etc. engender differences in playing. I discovered my own style of playing based less on an anticipated masculine approach and more on the physical and gender-based subtleties that culminate in what I call a “feminine sound,” being an artistic approach from a woman’s perspective, technique, and imagination. Through my reformulation, I realized that I was not incorrect; I was unique. I gained my confidence back and continued to advance my feminine sound. In these moments, I realized music’s true power to heal.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a guitarist, a musician, a composer, a theorist, a music activist, but most importantly, I am a strong woman. I have been awarded in over 20 musical competitions from all over the world, some of which include: 1st prize in the New York Laureate International Music Competition in 2022, 1st prize in the Twisted Spruce International Music Competition in 2021, 1st prize in the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Competition in 2019, 2nd prize winner and only American competitor in the 2023 Tabula Rasa International Guitar Competition, 2nd prize winner in the 2022 IYMC International Classical Music Competition, and 3rd prize winner in the 2021 University of Memphis International Guitar Competition. I have been selected as a guest artist in multiple concert series around the world for solo concerts and masterclasses, including Violão e Ponto in São Paulo in 2023, the MSU Denver Classical Guitar Concert series in 2022, the PeakFrequency Classical Music Series at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in 2022, the Chicago Guitar Festival in 2022, and the Associazione Culturale Alirio Diaz Concerto di Chitarra in Costacciaro, Italy in 2018. I have been featured on several radio programs and podcasts, including the Rádio Nacional de Brasília, The Writing of the Book Podcast, Shoutout LA, and I also have had a television program broadcasted about my musical life at the TV Senado in Brazil. I have recently released my debut album with Frameworks Records, which includes groundbreaking works by Sor, Mertz, von Sehrwald, and more. My album can be found on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Itunes, etc. I also actively work with modern composers to commission new music for the guitar, which is an essential work in being a modern musician today. As a music activist and feminist, I am working to make sure amazing women in the field, whether they are composers or guitarists, get the recognition they deserve.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.marisasardo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marisasardoguitar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Marisa-Sardo/100042218362526/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-sardo-b159511a5
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marisasardoguitar
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@marisasardoguitar

Image Credits
Photos by: Violao e Ponto Guitar Society Richard Sun Photography Taylor Perison Photography