MARIA MANOUSAKI

Maria Manousaki is one of Greece’s most successful and versatile musicians, celebrated for her accomplishments as a violin performer and band leader within the jazz and world music scene. Born in Johannesburg to a bicultural family, Maria completed the English Royal School of Music Violin examinations and graduated from the Greek Conservatory Filippos Nakas with a Jazz Violinist Degree. She furthered her studies at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, on a scholarship, earning an Honors Degree in Professional Music in 2002.

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Maria has steadily grown into an international artist, performing both as a soloist and with her band, the "Maria Manousaki Quintet," across America and worldwide. Her career includes performances in various bands as a freelance musician, covering diverse musical genres at high-profile events, theaters, festivals, clubs, and venues in major cities around the globe.

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Since arriving in New York, Maria has played alongside some of the world's most renowned musicians and has released two acclaimed albums under PiKayMusik. Her debut album, "Sole Voyage," features original compositions and an exciting blend of Cretan melodies with jazz and polyrhythmic percussion, available on all streaming platforms. The album won the Best Jazz Album at the Academia Awards in 2016. Her latest album, "Hidden Trails," was released in 2022.

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Maria is also the founder of the Cretan World Music Festival, initiated in Alikianos, Hania, Crete, in July 2014. This festival brings together world-renowned musicians who perform various genres of music alongside local traditional folk musicians, creating a unique cultural experience on the island. Additionally, Maria has served as the musical curator for the Vlatos Jazz series in Crete since 2018.