FEATURE
Interview with Pianist and Composer Maria Rago
Maria Grazia Rago is an Italian pianist and composer. She studied piano with Lea Cumbo and Eliodoro Sollima. She continue her musical education in Rome with Bruno Canino and in Milan with Marcello Abbado. Her composition studies came at the Conservatorie National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon in France. In 2008 she moved to the USA.
How did you come by your stage name?
Music:”Burnt street” (single) from the album “Burnt streets “
When did you discover your love for your craft and what made you realize you wanted to pursue a career in it?
I loved music from a young age, but at the age of 24, I realized I would love to be a musician and started to attend music school.
To what or whom do you accredit your sense of style?
Among all the composers, I love Bach, the Russian composers (Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Stravinsky, Prokofiev) and also the french Ravel and the estonian Arvö Part.
On your current project, how did you come up with the concept?
In this project, I mixed the two styles, rock and contemporary classic and I gave the electric guitar the lead. I think this instrument has a powerful voice that reflects our society.
“Burnt streets – Martin Szorad (electric guitar) and Maria Rago (music)”.
What are some of your greatest challenges, and what is your greatest attribute when it comes to your work ethic?
To write music it’s a very mysterious process. You have an idea but in the end, the notes control your ideas. Soon you create them, they are able to breathe and live without you. Every time a part of you is gone with them. You are like a mosaic with a missing piece.
So you go back to write to find the missing piece, it’s an endless process, where they are free and you are alone. My greatest attribute when it comes to my work ethic is giving voice to those who have no voice. I believe music has the power to change the consciences and to overcome barriers and limits.
Are you the best at what you do in your opinion?
I’m a very curious person. I love to know different stories and people. I think I will never stop learning and listen. So, for this reason, it’s very hard to say if I’m the best in what I’m doing, but definitely I try my best.
What are your plans for the near future?
I’m working for a new CD -“Burnt streets”- and I’m writing a piece of music for a film that will be released in fall 2020.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank, any shout outs?
I would like to thank my friends who support me, but my special thanks go to the love of my life, my husband and my son.
How can fans find you?
Website:www.mariarago.com
facebook:mariaragomusic3
Instagram:@mariaragomusic
What suggestions do you have for other artist like yourself?
Work hard, be curious, love what you’re doing and never stop learning, and remember that be a musician is a privilege!
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