Amelia Cuni was born in Milan, and lived in India for more than 10 years studying Dhrupad singing from renowned masters like Ustad Fahimuddin Dagar, Dilip Chandra Vedi and others. She has been based in Berlin since 1992, where she and sound designer Werner Durand were awarded artist-in-residence grants by the Podewil Zentrum für Aktuelle Kunst (1999). Cuni performs internationally, presenting solo concerts in Germany, London, Bombay and New Delhi, and participates in festivals such as the Festival of Vision 2000 in Berlin and others in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain, India, China, Brazil and Holland. Cuni's style has both a traditional and experimental orientation; she draws elements from ancient Indian traditional music, yet reaches beyond the boundaries of classicism and form in an attempt to explore a new musical terrain. Her experimental aesthetic leads Cuni to collaborate with artists from various backgrounds, including early and new music, electronica, ambient, experimental, jazz, folk, dance and theater (composers such as Terry Riley have written specifically for her voice). Cuni herself composes songs in Sanskrit, English and Italian. Currently engaged in preserving and fostering Dhrupad music, Cuni teaches Indian singing at the Conservatorio di Vicenza in Italy. Her music is featured on two solo CDs, several collaborative CDs, and on projects for radio and TV. |
