Douglas Temples

Douglas Temples is a chamber, orchestral and new music performer fluent on both the viola and violin. As a Chamber Musician and advocate for new music, he has performed across the United States including concerts at the Spoleto Music Festival, The American Viola Society Festival, the Southeastern Composers Symposium, and as guest violist with the Durward Contemporary Music Ensemble. Temples is the co-founder and director of the “...and friends” chamber ensemble currently on its fourth season in Bloomington-Normal, Il. 

He is the resident violist of the Coyote Creek Music Festival in Morgan Hill, CA, as well as playing an administrative role at the festival. As an orchestral musician, Temples has performed extensively throughout the United States. He has played with The Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the Peoria Symphony, the Augusta Symphony (GA) as well as Sinfonia da Camera where he has held a section viola position for the past four seasons. He has also served as principal viola of the NorCal Music Festival Orchestra, Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Midwest Institute of Opera Orchestra. 

A dedicated educator, Douglas holds artist faculty positions at the Conservatory of Central Illinois and the Augusta University Conservatory Program in addition to maintaining his own private studio. Outside of teaching private lessons, Temples was the director of the 2020 Itsy Arts Program, a program connecting music and emotions sponsored by the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Temples presented at the American Viola Society Festival in Los Angeles “Three Violists and a Skillet: the alternative to a summer music festival” alongside two colleagues outlining their summer plans to hold themselves accountable outside of a structured environment.  Douglas is a Suzuki trained instructor and draws inspiration from pedagogues such as Mimi Zweig, Paul Rolland, and Karen Tuttle. 

Temples earned his Bachelor of Music as an honors student from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, studying under Hillary Herndon. He received his Masters of Music from Illinois State University where he was a graduate assistant studying with professor Dr. Katherine Lewis. Other mentors include Dr. Glenn Block (Conducting), Katie Dey, and Dr. Laura Tomlin. 

Douglas also serves as music director for the Edgefield United Methodist Church in Edgefield, SC. When not teaching or performing, Douglas enjoys cooking for friends, reading a book, writing his blog on kitchen adventures, or exploring different parts of the word (including the backyard).