Home » Jazz Musicians » Maria Manousaki

Maria Manousaki

Maria Manousaki stands as one of Greece’s most successful and versatile musicians , working to great acclaim and commercial success as a violin performer and band leader, Maria's musical style can be best categorized within the jazz and world music scene. Maria Manousaki was born in Johannesburg of bicultural parentage. After completing the English Royal School of Music Violin examinations, Maria graduated from the Greek Conservatory Filippos Nakas with a Jazz Violinist Degree. She received a scholarship from the world renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, earning an Honors Degree in Professional Music in 2002. Steadily growing into an international artiste, Maria performs as a soloist as well as with her band “Maria Manousaki Quintet” around America and the world: She performs in different bands as a freelance musician covering diverse musical genres for many prestigious high- profile events, theaters, festivals, clubs, and venues in various major cities across the globe. Since her arrival in New York, Maria has performed alongside some of the worlds most renowned musicians and has released two outstanding albums: "Sole Voyage" which comprises her own original music and the excitingly unusual combinations of Cretan melodies woven into a tapestry of Jazz with Polyrhythmic Percussion. This can be found on all streaming platforms, The album won the best jazz album at the “academia awards” in 2016 Her latest album “Hidden Trails” will be released in 2021.

Maria has lived in Dubai where she performed in many prestigious events such as the International Film Festival, at private functions for the Sheikh of Dubai, the Madinat Theatre in Mina Al Salam, various seven star hotels including the Burg Al Arab. She has also performed Qatar for the Queen's son's wedding, and for the Duchess of Kent.

One of her groups is the swing quartet, “Stephane Grappelli Project” performing tunes by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli . She has also appeared with the world famous Rosenburg Trio in 2010 at the Heraklio Jazz Festival in Crete. Maria has appeared at the Pescara Closing Ceremony for the Mediterranean Olympic Games, 2009 in Italy. She has performed for Adeles latest video which was shown on her 2018 Tour around the world, has opened a Pet Shop Boys concert in Lykabetus Athens and a Sting concert at Lincoln Center in NYC.

Maria is the founder of the Cretan World Music Festival which was initiated in Alikianos Hania Crete in July 2014. The festival brings worldwide renowned musicians together, who perform different genres of music and local traditional folk musicians, bringing a unique flavor to the island. She is also the musical curator for the Vlatos Jazz series taking place in the island of Crete since 2018.

Read more

Tags

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Hidden Trails

PB Petros Klampanis Records
2021

buy

SOLE VOYAGE

PK Petros Klampanis Records
2015

buy

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.