Titles::
1. Anoyianos
2. Antartis
3. Sole voyage
4. Kokini valitsa (red suitcase)
5. Apoheretismos
6. Ateles
7. Slide dance
8. Sousta
Maria Manousaki stands as one of Greece’s most successful and versatile musical talents, 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 Europe, her last major concert was held at the Jazz Unterfahrt in Munich Germany, a concert which was sold out! She also performs in different bands as a freelance musician covering diverse musical genres for many high- profile events, theaters, festivals, clubs, and venues in various major cities across Cyprus, Greece, Italy, USA, Australia, Dubai, Qatar, UK, F.Y.R.O.M Istanbul Turkey, Cologne, Munich and many more.
Maria's latest album "Sole Voyage" comprises her own original music and the excitingly unusual combinations of Cretan melodies woven into a tapestry of Jazz with Polyrhythmic Percussion. It can be found online on iTunes and cdbaby.
The album won the best jazz album at the “academia awards” in 2016
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 performed with the world famous Rosenburg Trio in 2010 at the Heraklio Jazz Festival in Crete.
Maria was working as a part time music teacher at the biggest Music School in Greece: Philippos Nakas Conservatory for the years 2008-2010, St Catherines International school in Athens and CampionInternational school in Athens.
Maria has appeared at the Athens Megaro Mousikis Concert Hall a number of times with her current project "Drumvoice", a group founded by Petros Kourtis. "Drumvoice" consists of 6-10 percussionists featuring Maria on the Electric violin. They have appeared in various theatres, stadiums, and venues across the globe such as the Pescara Closing Ceremony for the Mediterranean Olympic Games, 2009 in Italy.
Maria was also asked to perform at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York in 2011 for the Annual Greek Film Festival. She has performed for Adeles latest video which will be shown on her 2018 Tour around the world, and has opened a Sting concert at Lincoln Center.
Since her arrival in New York Maria has performed with some of the finest jazz and world musicians on the scene. She has worked with Gilad Hekselman, Ron Afif, Sergio Salvatore, Petros Klampanis, Jean Michel Pilc, Christos Rafalides, Ziv Ravitz, Petar Slavov, Shai Maestro, Tamer Pirnabasi, Panayitis Andreou,
Maria is the founder of the Cretan world music festival which was initiated in Alikianos Hania Crete in July 2014 the festival combines world music and local traditional folk music, bringing worldwide acclaimed musicians together.
