MIRABAI PEART, violin
Mirabai grew up in the bush south west of Sydney, Australia as the daughter of a healer and a painter. She studied at the Australian Institute of Music and the Sydney Conservatorium with renowned violin teachers Alice Waten and Christopher Kimber. In 2006 and 2007 she attended the SIMA Women’s Jazz Course run by Sandy Evans. Other teachers and mentors include Anna Macdonald, baroque violin; Judy Bailey, improvisation; Dr. L.Subramanium in Bangalore, India; Ryan Francesconi, Bulgarian folk, USA; Beth Cohen, Greek violin, USA; Kyriakos Gouventas in Thessaloniki, Greece; Costas Karapanos in Ioannina, Greece; and Husnu Tuszuz in Istanbul, Turkey.
As a freelance musician in Sydney over the years, Mirabai has performed with classical groups the St James’ Ensemble, Collegium Musicum and Halcyon, and has performed classical and improvised music with artists including Paul Cutlan, Anna MacDonald, William Barton, Judy Bailey, Lucky Oceans, the Sydney Dance Company, Gavin Locklea, 'Taikoz', Aaron Flower, Peter Farrah, and as a guest with the band 'Monsieur Camembert' and member of the quartet for 'Yaron Hallis' Solo Show'. Mirabai has also been a regular member of the free-improvising ‘Splinter Orchestra’, Joanna Argall’s jazz quartet ‘Rosemary Jam’, gypsy jazz group 'Doc Jones and the Lechery Orchestra', the world music collective ‘Tapestries of Sound’ and female folk band 'De Khupe Heybners' (now Chaika).
Mirabai toured internationally with harp-player singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom as a member of her band through 2010 and 2011. When in Sydney, she continues to perform with the string quartet 'The NOISE' and also regularly performs as a member of Stringspace, and performed in early 2015 at the Sydney Festival with singer songwriters Alela Diane (Portland) and Olivia Chaney (London). Since settling in Portland, she has played with 'Hungry Opera Machine' and 'Vagabond Opera'. The album with Ryan Francesconi 'Road to Palios' was released on Bella Union followed by European and Japan tours in 2013. Together they toured internationally in late 2015 with Alela Diane for Ryan and Alela's collaborative album 'Cold Moon', and most recently again in Joanna Newsom's band for her album 'Divers'.
Mirabai grew up in the bush south west of Sydney, Australia as the daughter of a healer and a painter. She studied at the Australian Institute of Music and the Sydney Conservatorium with renowned violin teachers Alice Waten and Christopher Kimber. In 2006 and 2007 she attended the SIMA Women’s Jazz Course run by Sandy Evans. Other teachers and mentors include Anna Macdonald, baroque violin; Judy Bailey, improvisation; Dr. L.Subramanium in Bangalore, India; Ryan Francesconi, Bulgarian folk, USA; Beth Cohen, Greek violin, USA; Kyriakos Gouventas in Thessaloniki, Greece; Costas Karapanos in Ioannina, Greece; and Husnu Tuszuz in Istanbul, Turkey.
As a freelance musician in Sydney over the years, Mirabai has performed with classical groups the St James’ Ensemble, Collegium Musicum and Halcyon, and has performed classical and improvised music with artists including Paul Cutlan, Anna MacDonald, William Barton, Judy Bailey, Lucky Oceans, the Sydney Dance Company, Gavin Locklea, 'Taikoz', Aaron Flower, Peter Farrah, and as a guest with the band 'Monsieur Camembert' and member of the quartet for 'Yaron Hallis' Solo Show'. Mirabai has also been a regular member of the free-improvising ‘Splinter Orchestra’, Joanna Argall’s jazz quartet ‘Rosemary Jam’, gypsy jazz group 'Doc Jones and the Lechery Orchestra', the world music collective ‘Tapestries of Sound’ and female folk band 'De Khupe Heybners' (now Chaika).
Mirabai toured internationally with harp-player singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom as a member of her band through 2010 and 2011. When in Sydney, she continues to perform with the string quartet 'The NOISE' and also regularly performs as a member of Stringspace, and performed in early 2015 at the Sydney Festival with singer songwriters Alela Diane (Portland) and Olivia Chaney (London). Since settling in Portland, she has played with 'Hungry Opera Machine' and 'Vagabond Opera'. The album with Ryan Francesconi 'Road to Palios' was released on Bella Union followed by European and Japan tours in 2013. Together they toured internationally in late 2015 with Alela Diane for Ryan and Alela's collaborative album 'Cold Moon', and most recently again in Joanna Newsom's band for her album 'Divers'.
