Marina Arsenijevic (born 1970) is a Serbian-born American pianist and
composer who also goes by the professional name "Marina". She is known
for playing on a transparent piano, recording popular albums in her
native country, and performing on a PBS television show featuring her
original compositions.Arsenijevic was born in Belgrade to a soccer
player father and a mother who worked for the government. She started
playing the piano at age four and at age nine performed for an
audience of 2,000 people. She began her higher education studies
early, when she was only fifteen years old, later obtaining a master's
degree from the University of Arts in Belgrade.Arsenijevic has
composed and performed in a classical crossover style, mixing and
transforming genres. Described as being "unique to the ears, yet
familiar to the soul", her compositions have combined ethno-rhythms
with classical techniques." She recorded "Ethno Classic & Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart" in 1997 and "Mother Tongue" in 1999; both albums were
produced in Serbia. In the United States, she released "My Balkan
Soul" in 2002, as well as "Fire & Soul" in 2007, "Chopin: Waltzes" in
2004, and "Marina at West Point" in 2010.As a concert performer in
Serbia during the 1990s, Arsenijevic won several international piano
competitions in Italy and ex-Yugoslavia. She also became known for her
trademark transparent piano, playing on a see through instrument made
of plexiglass, built by the German Schimmel Pianoworks company. Her
peace concerts opposing the Kosovo conflict upset some government
officials, and she was barred from making TV appearances. She instead
played in shopping malls, hotels and music halls. In 1999, on the last
day of bombing, Marina introduced her new composition "Kosovo" at the
National Museum in Belgrade. As she played the deeply interwoven
Christian and Muslim melodies of "Kosovo" with tears flowing down her
face, she noticed that the audience also began to weep as everyone in
the concert hall realized that Yugoslavia, as a united multi- cultural
nation, was no more. The next day Marina was advised to leave the
country immediately for her own safety. She was guided to the US
Embassy in Budapest where by special bipartisan Congressional
arrangement she was able to enter the United States as an artist of
extraordinary ability. Following the ouster of extremists, Marina was
invited by the newly formed moderate government to return to Serbia
for a European concert tour and over 300,000 fans came to hear the
music that helped calm a nation torn apart by hatred and violence.
Following the tragedy of 9/11, Marina felt compelled to return to the
United States to perform a series of benefit concerts for the victims
and their families in Pennsylvania and Maryland and to thank the
American people for their generosity in granting asylum in the United
States to refugees in mixed Serbian- Muslim marriages who had fled
persecution in Bosnia.
composer who also goes by the professional name "Marina". She is known
for playing on a transparent piano, recording popular albums in her
native country, and performing on a PBS television show featuring her
original compositions.Arsenijevic was born in Belgrade to a soccer
player father and a mother who worked for the government. She started
playing the piano at age four and at age nine performed for an
audience of 2,000 people. She began her higher education studies
early, when she was only fifteen years old, later obtaining a master's
degree from the University of Arts in Belgrade.Arsenijevic has
composed and performed in a classical crossover style, mixing and
transforming genres. Described as being "unique to the ears, yet
familiar to the soul", her compositions have combined ethno-rhythms
with classical techniques." She recorded "Ethno Classic & Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart" in 1997 and "Mother Tongue" in 1999; both albums were
produced in Serbia. In the United States, she released "My Balkan
Soul" in 2002, as well as "Fire & Soul" in 2007, "Chopin: Waltzes" in
2004, and "Marina at West Point" in 2010.As a concert performer in
Serbia during the 1990s, Arsenijevic won several international piano
competitions in Italy and ex-Yugoslavia. She also became known for her
trademark transparent piano, playing on a see through instrument made
of plexiglass, built by the German Schimmel Pianoworks company. Her
peace concerts opposing the Kosovo conflict upset some government
officials, and she was barred from making TV appearances. She instead
played in shopping malls, hotels and music halls. In 1999, on the last
day of bombing, Marina introduced her new composition "Kosovo" at the
National Museum in Belgrade. As she played the deeply interwoven
Christian and Muslim melodies of "Kosovo" with tears flowing down her
face, she noticed that the audience also began to weep as everyone in
the concert hall realized that Yugoslavia, as a united multi- cultural
nation, was no more. The next day Marina was advised to leave the
country immediately for her own safety. She was guided to the US
Embassy in Budapest where by special bipartisan Congressional
arrangement she was able to enter the United States as an artist of
extraordinary ability. Following the ouster of extremists, Marina was
invited by the newly formed moderate government to return to Serbia
for a European concert tour and over 300,000 fans came to hear the
music that helped calm a nation torn apart by hatred and violence.
Following the tragedy of 9/11, Marina felt compelled to return to the
United States to perform a series of benefit concerts for the victims
and their families in Pennsylvania and Maryland and to thank the
American people for their generosity in granting asylum in the United
States to refugees in mixed Serbian- Muslim marriages who had fled
persecution in Bosnia.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.