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"Pure and powerful, original compositions that heal the mind, body and soul!" ~ A. Santino
MATINA COULOURIS
A brief biography in music
I come from a family of musicians and writers and grew up listening to both jazz and classical music. Early influences included the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Gerry Mulligan and June Christy, among many others, (thanks, Dad!). Classical influences included the works of Chopin, Beethoven, and Mozart. I began classical piano studies at the age of six under my aunt’s tutelage. (She went on to become a Fulbright Scholar for voice.) I continued my training with pianist-organist-harpsichordist Rudolph Puhlman. For many years in Boston, I studied jazz improvisation and modern harmony under the tutelage of Charlie Banacos. In addition, I produced and hosted two jazz programs for Boston University Radio (WBUR) and one program for Harvard University Radio (WHRB). A third program for WBUR featured the music of and an interview with composer Carla Bley. I produced a concert as part of the very first Boston Jazz Week. I also performed with my own quartet at this concert. (Boston Jazz Week has since become an annual event.)
I earned my Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance degree from San Francisco State University, graduating magna cum laude. I am very grateful to have studied under the following artists: William Corbett-Jones, Herman A. Vanderkamp, Carlo Bussotti, Wayne Peterson, Eric Moe and Henry Onderdonk.
I love many artists and enjoy many genres of music. My inspiration comes from experiences, places and the people I know and love.
Thank you for listening!
Album Reviews
Album 2: Chamomile School Review by: R.J. Lannan, Artisan Music Reviews Chamomile School by pianist Matina Coulouris is a scrapbook full of musical memories. You are going to meet her family and her friends and relive her experiences through her contemporary piano tunes that have just a touch of jazz undertones, and rightly so as her history involves jazz on many levels. From groundbreaking radio programs in Boston to prestigious music schools on the west coast, Matina has maintained her love for jazz. On Chamomile School, the jazz influences are quite subtle, but they are there for us to enjoy . . . Matina Coulouris puts a pensive ambience to this solo piano retrospective. Every track is reflective in a contemporary sense with those subtle jazz underpinnings couched in melancholy. It is a daydream soundtrack of memories, for memories. This is an album you put on Tuesday night and play it while your mood changes. It might still be playing on Saturday. It is not just for a background, however. You will be humming all the themes in no time, adding color and texture to your pleasure. Highly listenable.
Album 2: Chamomile School Review by: Kathy Parsons of Mainly Piano Chamomile School is the second album from pianist/composer Matina Coulouris. Released in 2021, the album's ten original piano solos are deeply expressive, telling stories without words as well as conveying deep emotions. The titles are intriguing, but don't really tell you much about what inspired the music - and that is certainly okay as it allows listeners to create their own stories based on their own experiences and interpretations of the music. The overall feeling of the album is melancholy and poignant, and Matina's playing style is wonderfully expressive, painting vivid images of people and places that have had an influence on her life in one way or another. If I had to to select a genre for the album, I'd call it neoclassical, but jazz influences can also be heard in this beautiful and very personal music. Currently living in Northern California, Matina Coulouris grew up in a family of musicians and writers and was exposed to a broad range of music from a very young age. She started her classical piano studies at the age of six and continued studying both classical and jazz through college, earning her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from San Francisco State University and graduating magna cum laude. Quoting Matina: "I love many artists and enjoy many genres of music. My inspiration comes from experiences, places and the people I know and love." Her music makes that very clear! Chamomile School begins with "August 30," a day that must have been more than difficult. Dark, mournful and very slow, it's a powerful start to the album. "Seiche" is a slow waltz tinged with mystery and an easy grace. "At the End of the Day, Lake Superior" feels dreamier and more introspective. "Raspberries" is lighter with a gentle lilt. Perhaps memories of picking berries and eating them on a summer afternoon? "I Wish You Were Here" feels very spontaneous and from the heart - perhaps a slow jazz improvisation to release some powerful emotions. "Song For Joyce" was composed in honor of Matina's mother and is a very loving tribute expressed with grace and elegance. The title track is subtitled "Where the sweetest things are learned" and expresses feelings of innocence and ease, moving at a relaxed tempo. "Anna Marie" was composed for a friend and returns to a sad, mournful expression of grief. Very slow and spare, the emotions are raw and very real. In the liner notes of the CD, it says under "Little Girl Flying": "It was more than a daydream." Hmmm - intriguing! Soft and gentle, there is an underlying air of mystery that makes me want to know more! "The Lucky One" comes with the reminder: "If you look closely, you will see how lucky you are." It's an important message in these challenging times and the music is very gently reassuring. Chamomile School is a beautiful album from the first note to the last and I'm looking forward to hearing more music from Matina Coulouris. The album is available from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, and streaming sites including Spotify. Check it out!