Afrodita Katmeridou
(born in 1956, in the Czech Republic, resident in Prague), composer. She studied composition with Frantisek Emmert, Miloslav Istvan, Alois Pinos, and Zdenek Zouhar at the Janacek Academy of Music. Since 2009 she has been a teacher of theory at the International Conservatory of Prague, and from 2000 teacher of theoretical subjects (analysis, polyphony, harmony). In 2002 she was voted Woman of the year, by the Austrian Who's Who. From 1996 to now she has a freelance cooperation with the Czech Republic in Prague, Czech Republic and local music newspapers and magazines. From 1969 to 1976 she was leader of the Youth Philharmonic Pioneer, artistic director and conductor Vladi Simeonov. She has also composed Electroacoustic music
Selected works: Chamber music: Two Miniatures for solo violin (1978), String Quartet No. 1 (1979); No. 2 (1981); No. 3 (1985); No. 4 (1999); Barbaric Dance and Finale for solo violin (1985); Voices of the Past, for voice, clarinet, piano, and viola; Rapsody for solo violin (2002). Orchestral works: Impulsioni e meditationi per violin solo and orchestra (1982); Prelude for String Orchestra (1983); Impressions for String Orchestra (1995); Concerto for violin, orchestra, and percussion..
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bernardet Kühne
(born in Spain, on 1971). Composer, conducter and teacher. She studied with José Bermejo at the Academy Z. Kodály, where she has subsequently been a teacher for nearly two decades. She has followed musical studies in piano, theory, harmony, cello, voice and choral conducting. She is also a computer engineer for UNED, and recently completed music teacher studies at the University of Murcia. She has been a member of the Coral Kodály and currently works with this choir on numerous occasions. For ten years she conducted the Choir "Friends of Music" of Cieza and she is also director of the choir "Voces Blancas XOLO". Currently, she combines choral conducting with the composition and arrangement of music.
Awards: With the chorus "XOLO White Voices" she won the 2nd Prize in the XXV Contest of Habanera de Totana and the 4th and 3rd Prize in the categories of equal voices and folklore respectively in the international competition of Cantonigrós (Barcelona) and the 1st Prize Contest Ejea the Knights of 2011. She has won first prizes in national competitions Sestao composition (consecutively in 2004 and 2005) and Totana (2006).
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Maria Kvist
(born in Kälarne Jämtland, 1971, resident Enskede, Stockholm) is a Swedish pianist and composer in the jazz field. She grew up in a small village in Ede, Jämtland. Music was an integral part in her family and she began to sing and perform at an early age with her father, an accordionist. Her education began with piano lessons when she was six years old. During high-school Maria started to sing and play keyboard professionally in a local band, and was touring all over Sweden. The interest for jazz began in the last year of high-school when her classical piano teacher Sven Erik Johansson introduced some music by Oscar Peterson and George Gershwin. At Birka Folk Folkhögskola she studied classical piano and jazz in ensembles. In 1993 Kvist went to Berklee College of Music for a year. There she studied jazz piano with Bill Davies and composing with Jeff Friedman. When she returned to Sweden she attended The Royal College of Music in Stockholm and studied jazz piano with Ove Lundin. During that time Kvist toured and recorded with the jazz-pop band Blå Kongo. She also started Lynx, a jazz quartet playing original music exclusively, which toured frequently throughout Sweden. Since then, she is a working musician in different bands and has appeared as session pianist on various recordings. Kvist has performed with artists like Svante Thuresson, Cecilia Wennerström, Peo Jönis, Jakob Stadell, Karin Hammar, Peter Johannesson and Sixtus. She is also a member of the sextet ELC (CD-release 2009 Consequences) and has done many concerts with the tribute show to late Swedish jazz singer Monica Zetterlund called Zetterlund i Våra Hjärtan together with Lina Bergvall at Mosebacke in Stockholm during the past years. Maria formed a quartet in her own name in 2007 including the members Linus Kåse on alto saxophone, Sven-Eric Johansson on double bass and Isak Andersson on drums. She writes most of the repertoire for the group.
Selected recordings: I Read a Review 2008, Wide Meadow music; Lemon Man 2010, Wime Records; Superficial, 2013, Wela Records.
Awards, selection: 2001 STIM's (the Swedish Performing Rights Society) grant; 2012 SKAP (Swedish Composers of Popular Music).
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
