Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
This band has no press
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Maria Millars newborn cry was heard in Canada on November 28, 1978. Four years later, the cry resumed with her introduction to the violin. Culled by Ranald Shean and cultivated by Ronald Copes, however, she grew to court her fiddle with glee, culminating in a full scholarship and accelerated Masters Degree from The Juilliard School in NYC.
Maria has been featured as a soloist and multidisciplinary artist throughout Canada, Ireland, China, Japan and the US; The Canadian, British and American Broadcasting Corporations as well as The WB's One World Jam, CBS Sunday Morning and CBS The Early Show have aired concerts, interviews and clips of her work.
Over 170 performances as the Solo Dancing Fiddler in Riverdance On Broadway and the North American and Asian Tours of Riverdance: The Show spurred Marias love for mega theatrical productions, cordless electric violins and 6000-seater auditoriums. The only Canadian to have starred in this principal role, Maria's 4 center stage numbers included improvised solos and simultaneous fiddling and dance. Maria also performed in Radio City Music Hall's One World Jam and premiered her creation for 5 prerecorded violin tracks and 1 live dancing violinist, All for One, on CBC's nationally televised The Great Canadian Music Dream.
In 2005, Maria began a North American tour of her one-woman show of original works for violin, voice and dance, playing venues such as The Kennedy Center and The Library & Archives of Canada. Canada Council for the Arts and Alberta Foundation for the Arts funded Marias compositional process, granting her the opportunity to expand her expressive capabilities and present her vision of the multidisciplinary performing artist. Maria also composed, choreographed and performed in Drum Spirits, a theatrical extravaganza for solo violin and Japanese drums with Uzume Taiko.
In 2006, Maria founded Kilterclash, a trio whose original works propel the diverging sounds of World and Classical Music with the magnetic pulse of Urban Beat. With Maria on vocals and acoustic/electric violin, Kris Saebo on acoustic/electric bass and Ulysses Owens, Jr. on drums, Kilterclash is a triple threat of multilinguals, pyrotechnic instrumentals and irreverent improvisation. Kilterclash was recently awarded a creation grant by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Beyond performing her compositions, Maria is an avid improviser. Her arrangements and aural transcriptions of Japanese, Chinese, Celtic, Gypsy, Klezmer, Tango, Turkish, Blues, Jazz, Pop, Rock and Classical Music have laid the foundation for fearless ad-libbing in any setting. Maria has also enjoyed interacting with over 130 audiences in homeless shelters, healthcare centers and schools. Her musical presentations, designed to showcase the dormant diva in non-musicians, involve accompanying daring audience members on her violin, performing musical requests, and creating joint pieces with willing participants.
Maria thanks her violin for providing a passport to people and experiences. Its power to instantly dissolve barriers, or deliver a thought, rejuvenates her with every stroke she draws. Combined with vocals, Maria plans to use string and bow to magnify her musical voice beyond her wildest expectations.
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