The word ‘Amitri’ is made up of ‘ami’, the Konkani word for ‘we’, and the number three,
simply meaning ‘we three’. It is, after all, the name of a trio band comprising
three extremely talented women – Marialena Fernandes, Amina Vamosi and Ieva
Pranskute, and in a way, a celebration of women composers and artistes. The
three women have been together all along in the field of music.
Following their performances in Mangalore
and Bangalore, Amitri will arrive in Goa on February 15, 2019 for ‘The Quest
for Passion’ – a musical event of Western classical music presented by
Sunaparanta, Goa Centre for the Arts. ‘The Quest for Passion’ is actually an
initiative that was taken up by Marialena in 2015, in which she engages
musicians from Europe and India in dialog and interaction with each other.
There is also an involvement of talented youth discussing diverse artistic
themes. As a community outreach program, Amitri encourages musicians to
contribute their skills and nuances of handling an instrument in the form of
workshops to benefit the local musicians.
Born in Mumbai and presently based in Vienna, Austria, Marialena
has been a recognised and distinguished pianist on the international scene.
Music has been the most essential part of her life. After acquiring her
Licentiate Diploma of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM), Marialena completed
her education from Mumbai University in Psychology. Later, she went on to the
University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where she received her
Diploma in Piano and Chamber Music Performance with unanimous distinctions. As
Artistic Director and International Program Curator in Crossover projects, she
incorporates classical, jazz and world music fusions with an emphasis on
improvisation and an intercultural exchange between students, teachers and
audiences.
She has been influencing young musicians in India and around the
world. According to this talented women, the first thing that comes to her mind
is to lead by example and be a role model as the only form of convictions are
to be able to have experienced everything one wants to share. After the death
of her parents, Marialena began discovering her roots for her studies in music.
She has the ability to challenge any sort of music, be it European classical or
Konkani, and performs them in solo and group. She calls her talent ‘A gift from
God’. Sticking to her favourite genres of music like pop and jazz, she also
fulfils her curious desires for folk, and ethnicity. “As long as the passion is
alive, the sky is the limit,” exclaims Marialena.
The trio also comprises Ieva Pranskutė from Vilnius, Lithuania.
Ieva started playing the violin at the age of five. She joined the Grammy
Award-winning Kremerata Baltica, a chamber orchestra of Musicians from the
Baltic States led by the famous violinist Gidon Kremer since 2012. She has been
participating in diverse music projects as a soloist and chamber musician since
her early age.
Completing the trio is Amina Anna Vámosi, a 24-year-old
Hungarian flautist who began her music education at the age of seven. She has
been part of several TV broadcasts and CD recordings as a choir member, later
on discovering her passion for playing the flute. She has won numerous awards
in both national and international competitions.
‘The
Quest for Passion’ will take place at Sunaparanta, Goa Centre for the Arts on
February 15, 6:30 pm onwards.
