Quick Facts
Biography
Mariana Preda (born 23 January 1994) is a Romanian pan flute musician, actress and film director. She came into prominence after starring in the multi awarded short film Doina. As a musician she is known for her album Sunrise published by the label MAP in Italy in 2013 and for having many concerts around the world.
Early life
Mariana Preda was born in 1994 and raised in Dragodana, Romania. She studied music at the 'Balasa Doamna High School in Târgovișteand in 2013 she moved to Amsterdam to continue her studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in classical and contemporary music. Among her teachers Gheorghe Zamfir, Damian Drăghici and Matthijs Koene.
Career
2010-2011
In 2010 Mariana played the main role in a short film called Doina directed by italian filmmaker Nikolas Grasso. She played along renown romanian actresses such as Maria Dinulescu and Carmen Ungureanu. For her performance she received two awards. Best Actress at the Monaco International Film Festival in 2010 and Best Actress at the Festival du Cinema de Paris in 2011.
2014
In 2014 Mariana directed her first short film named "Life". The short won the Independent Spirit Award at the Monaco International Film Festival in december 2014. Life was also screened in New York at the Long Island International Film Expo.
2015
On Monday 23 March 2015 she performed in a show named "Clipe de Viata" at the National Theatre of Bucharest along with famous romanian actors and performers such as Maria Dinulescu, Ion Caramitru, Felicia Filip, Maia Morgenstern and many others. Mariana performed at the first edition of the Untold Festival, the largest electronic music festival held in Romania, taking place in Cluj-Napoca.
During the summer she performed twice at Expo in Milan
In november dutch composer Merlijn Twaalfhoven chose Mariana as ambassador for Romania for the opening song performed at the Amsterdam Light Festival.
2016
On 7 January 2016 at the LSRS Gala which took place at the Palace of the Parliament, Mariana has been given a special recognition for being one of the best Romanian students abroad in the field of the arts.
On March 18, Ambassador of Romania in Belgium hosted, at his Residence, a literary evening celebrating the International Francophonie Day. The literary event, moderated by Jacques De Decker benefited of the musical intermezzos of Mariana Preda.
On 1 April Mariana has performed in London at St. Martin in The Fields together with organist Donald MacKenzie. This is was the very first pan flute concert organized at this venue.
On 15 May Mariana Preda performed at the 'Romania Day on Broadway' in New York. The occasion drew together the almost 200,000 Romanian-Americans living in New York City.
On 28 May Mariana opened the concert of the renown romanian musician Tudor Gheorghe at St. Martin's Cathedral in Utrecht.
On 6 July Mariana held the very first pan flute concert in Havana at San Francisco de Paula's Church, event organized by the Romanian Embassy and Ambassador Dumitru Preda.
On 7h August Mariana performed at the second edition of Untold Festival for the second time.
On 2 December Mariana Preda has been invited to perform in the Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Centertogether with Romanian Cimbalom player Nicolae Feraru, pianist Gerard Cademcian and singer Laura Bretan for the Romanian National Day organized by the Romanian consulate and H.E. Consul Mihaela Deaconu.