Maria Ma

Maria Ma PUR

​ "With her way of playing the hammered dulcimer, Maria Ma has given birth to a musical jewel, rescuing this wonderful instrument from the confines of folk kitsch; she succeeds in creating music of magical effect, ethereal and floating."
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​From an early age, in the 1970s, Maria Ma was fascinated by the spherical sound of the hammered dulcimer, which was played within the musical circle of her parents' home. These early encounters were formative, and at the age of five, she began playing this special instrument. This ancient string instrument likely has its roots in the Persian region and can be found in various forms under different names across many cultures around the world. Maria Ma experienced intense engagement with the hammered dulcimer during her childhood and youth as part of the traditional Alpine folk music. Years later it would become her most important medium of musical expression. In 2010, Maria Ma founded a literary-musical ensemble, which gave her a completely new approach to her "first" instrument, the hammered dulcimer. On this marvelous instrument she developed a distinctive style and broke into a new realm of musical freedom.
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Maria Ma is active as a hammered dulcimer soloist and currently also performs with her ensemble Maria Ma PUR. ​In her PUR instrumental project, Maria Ma invites her audience to experience what has become her most important means of musical expression over the years. Her compositions are inspired by the overtone-rich and spherical sound of the hammered dulcimer, nature, her travels and stories. She weaves floating soundscapes with complex rhythms, occasionally allowing her musical roots to shine through.
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Audience feedback:

"Maria Ma's music is something incredibly primal, and the hammered dulcimer is a global instrument. You've probably never heard it like this before."
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