Maria Kritsotaki / Katerina Orfanoudaki

In a fragile, polyphonic and minimalist sound environment, Maria Kritsotaki (voice) and Katerina Orfanoudaki (harpsichord, keyboards) present a programme inspired by different musical idioms, with the common denominator being the mixture of music and poetry in the Greek language. They combine musical improvisation with the composition of new pieces, acting as composers and performers at the same time.

They met musically at the Rosa Nera squat in Chania, in August 2023. They created then a series of concerts entitled “Sagrada Femina” and participated with Vera Morais (voice) and Niki Kokkoli (saxophone) in the performance “Galatea” (2024).

Katerina Orfanoudaki has studied music in Greece and abroad. She has given concerts with early and contemporary music ensembles in Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and has been a member of the Ionian University Symphony Orchestra, the Sweelinck Baroque Orchestra of the Amsterdam Conservatory. She has also worked with the Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam. She is a founding member of the XIMAIPA Ensemble, Kairós Ensemble and Duo Suzanne. She has attended seminars with Peter Seymour, Pierre Hantai, Elam Rotem, Fred Jacobs, Peter van Heyghen and others. She has completed a course with Thanasis Deligiannis and another with Jos Zwaanenburg, dedicated to the application of Carnatic Rhythms in contemporary Western European music.

Maria Kritsotaki started from an early age to study classical violin. She graduated from the Athens University of Economics and Business, while continuing her studies in contemporary singing. She completed her studies in the Netherlands. She has attended masterclasses by leading musicians of the New York jazz scene (J.D. Walter, Deborah Brown, Jonathan Kreisberg, Matt Wilson and Gene Jackson). Having sung on stages and festivals in the Netherlands, Greece and Italy, she has taken part in productions mainly focused on jazz and improvisational music with traditional influences. She is a member of the artistic collective “Free The Soprano Player” active in Heraklion, organizing free improvisation meetings and, for two consecutive years, the Freedom Day Jazz Festival. She is currently a postgraduate student in the department “Music Technology for New Media” (NMA). Alongside her artistic activity, she teaches singing and voice education in Heraklion.