Performing Arts- Musician/Composer
Maria Kaoutzani is a composer from Limassol, Cyprus, based in Chicago, IL. Color and texture are central elements in her work, and she enjoys exploring how a number of instruments can function as a unified entity that evolves in time. Voice and text are significant in Maria’s work: many of her pieces are based on poetry or literature, while voice is often used in her music in various roles. A member of composer collective Kinds of Kings, Maria’s works have been performed in Europe, Asia, North and South America by ensembles such as the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Spektral Quartet, New York Contemporary Ensemble and others. Maria is a PhD candidate in Music Composition at the University of Chicago and holds a Master’s in Music Theory and Composition from New York University.
At the Anderson Center, Maria worked on a concerto for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra featured work by Kinds of Kings in their 2021-22 season, and the piece with Eighth Blackbird is set to premiered in the spring of 2022. On September 11, in 2021 Maria led an improvisation workshop with students of Universal Music Center.