Kamilla Arku - Pianist
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13/12/2023
Date night w and the Golden Bachelor!💛💛💛 Spoiler alert on the third pic😂
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06/12/2023
A look at the 2023 in Vienna! I was so honored to speak alongside and about creativity, resilience and leadership. I got to rep for and meet lots of lovely people along the way! More Vienna pix to come🤘🏽
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01/12/2023
What a special recital with ! “Blessed Be Our Martyrs” gave an African diasporic perspective on nature and climate justice, with world premieres by Marieke, plus a song cycle we improvised on a text by . Can’t wait to share videos from the performance!
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20/11/2023
One of my favourite posters ever, and my next performance!
Posted • Mark your calendars! This 28 Nov at 8PM, Glassbox Theatre, Mannes School of Music, NYC and I are presenting “Blessed Be Our Martyrs”, my Masters graduation recital program of Pan-African songs about nature and climate justice. World premieres by me, and an improvised song cycle based on poetry by 🙌🙌
17/11/2023
When your dress matches your latest single! Everyone please check out “Sefa,” (IYKYK) my collaboration with the amazing for . “Outside the Lines vol. 6” is curated by , and features gorgeous, Africa-centered new music by Rebeca Omordia and Gabriel Prokofiev, Tunde Jegede and Ibukun Sunday, EMÆNUEL, and Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno.
Link in bio to listen!!
Artwork by Matt Young at Modern Activity
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16/11/2023
Tonight! I’ll be performing in “Sculpting the Self: Sexuality and Liberation” with the at . This program is so thoughtfully constructed, and I’m so thrilled to perform new music by such exciting young composers with so much to say! Come for the conversation, stay to watch me play the piano with a credit card🤘🏽
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23/10/2023
First show down😄 Thank you .cello and for working so hard on this concert for NY kids! It’s been a tough week of adult conversations, so it was especially inspiring to talk to young people about the power of music and how composers Price, Coleridge-Taylor, Beethoven and Turina express their ideas and emotions! Shout-out to the kid whose question was “I play ten instruments.” 😂💛
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14/10/2023
So excited for my lovely, talented students as they embark on new musical adventures with their mom! Happy tour to the whole fam! 💛🎹💛
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14/10/2023
MEET THE ARTISTS // Kamilla Arku and Dameun Strange
With the piano music of Nkeiru Okoye as a starting point, ‘Sefa’ by Kamilla Arku - Pianist and Dameun Strange weaves notions of African diaspora and sisterhood into an electroacoustic soundscape. The piece is inspired by the experiences of an imaginary woman who hears the sound of a piano through raindrops. As the sun begins to set, the sound is bathed in golden-hour glow and conjures a cherished memory of dancing barefoot in the rain with her sisters.
Preorder now 👉 https://nonclassical.bandcamp.com/album/outside-the-lines-vol-6
12/10/2023
Throwback to how you drink coffee in Italy🇮🇹☕️🎹
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06/10/2023
New music announcement! I’m so excited for the release of my collaboration with the wonderful on the label. Such an exciting project, honoured to be a part of it! Click link in bio to pre-order✨
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Repost• JUST ANNOUNCED // Outside the Lines, Vol. 6 💥
The sixth edition of our annual compilation features a sonically-diverse collection of music connected to African art music traditions, incorporating diverse practices, including electronic music, field recordings, traditional African instruments, and African Classical music.
Brings together work by Rebeca Omordia and Gabriel Prokofiev, Tunde Jegede and Ibukun Sunday, EMÆNUEL, Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno, and Kamilla Arku and Dameun Maurice Strange.
Preorder now - link in bio 🤩
Artwork by Matt Young at Modern Activity
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25/09/2023
Upcoming NYC gigs! Come join me with some really cool musicians at some really cool venues😎 (Not listed: new music release announcement on Oct 5th!🔥🔥🔥) 📸: .enk
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02/09/2023
Finally got to visit Mother Blessing’s Home, for the first time since the pandemic. It was so moving to see how the kids have grown, learn about their lives, and spend time making music together. And it was especially inspiring to catch up with our sponsored students, aspiring surgeon Teta and Joseph, who wants to be a teacher!💜 📸:
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31/08/2023
Some more snaps from the x ANAM fundraising concert at the Royal Grand Hotel in Monrovia! We’re thrilled that the concert was able to raise $750 to support the Agape National Academy of Music. Funds will help fund teacher travel, make repairs at the school, purchase supplies and more💜Thank you to our lovely audience for supporting us! 📸:
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28/08/2023
Backstage before my recital at the Royal Grand Hotel in Monrovia. I can’t express what it meant to me to perform my first recital in Liberia, especially as the concert raised money for the incredible music teachers at the Agape National Academy of Music. Thank you to ANAM’s Samson Tarpeh for organizing, as well as all of the attendees volunteers for helping to make the night so special! More event photos by talented Liberian photographer to follow!
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11/08/2023
Tomorrow I am performing on the roof terrace of the .grand.hotel.liberia with as a fundraiser for the Agape National Academy of Music! Here’s the view😍 DM for ticket info💜
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07/08/2023
Our next fundraising concert is Saturday, 12 August at the Royal Hotel in Monrovia! All proceeds to support the Agape National Academy of Music💜 Follow all week for more in Liberia!
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29/07/2023
What an absolute joy to work with and soprano last weekend in Yachats, Oregon! Alison and I performed a social justice-themed recital as part of the Yachats Conference for Racial Equality and Understanding. Brava to Ali for curating such a thoughtful, creative program, Dr. Scott for organizing such an inspiring event, and the conference attendees for a warm welcome and an engaged Q&A following the performance. Hope to visit beautiful Yachats again!
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26/07/2023
Happy 26th to Liberians celebrating everywhere! I can’t wait to reconnect with our friends in Liberia, especially the wonderful students we’ve worked with (like college student Teta, picture here at Mother Blessing’s Home💛). It’s been a long time since I was able to visit Liberia, can’t wait! 📸:
09/07/2023
We came, we saw, we sparkled✨✨✨
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06/07/2023
Yesterday was recording day! Thank you and team for a great session at . Can’t wait to share more about an exciting upcoming project with … stay tuned!
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30/06/2023
My next concert is with the incomparable ! We’ll be performing a wide-ranging program themed around social justice in Yachats, Oregon (!), with music by Adolphus Hailstork, Florence Price, and more✊🏽 More details to come, but for now here’s a throwback to performing together at ROH for ’s ‘Mami Wata.’ 💛
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15/06/2023
Summer streets :)
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12/06/2023
The moment when I accidentally tried to raffle off my mom for 🤦🏾♀️
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📸: .enk
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07/06/2023
Brooklyn giving off real Wes Anderson vibes right now…
Filter: climate change:(
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31/05/2023
From the last gig of my UK mini tour! Thank you for inviting me to perform. I played music by women from Africa and the African diaspora - loved discussing this wonderful music with their audience afterwards! And I got to rock a new dress by 🤘🏽🧡
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29/05/2023
Thank you to everyone who came out to last weekend’s Music for Liberia concert at Embassy Gardens!! It was great to reconnect (in person) with the Music for Liberia community, and support the hard-working teachers at the Agape National Academy of Music in Liberia. We’re still raising money to support one of their teachers for a full year. Thanks again to everyone’s who’s already donated💜 📸: .enk
www.musicforliberia.com/donate
26/05/2023
I had such an inspiring residency at ! Beautiful surroundings, gorgeous concert venue, fun interview for , and lovely, engaged audiences for my Thursday talk and Friday recital. Thank you for having me! 💛 Stay tuned for more interval selfies from my UK mini-tour :)
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20/05/2023
Kamilla Arku and April Koyejo-Audiger Music for Liberia founder and pianist Kamilla Arku is joined by soprano April Koyejo-Audiger, presenting a programme of music from Africa in this fundraising concert, supporting the development and education of children in Liberia. The programme will include works from composers Ayo Bankole, Daisy H...
12/05/2023
I’ve been so lucky to spend time in Liberia, working with the most inspiring students and organizations though ! Next Saturday, Music for Liberia is partnering with to support teachers at the Agape National Academy of Music. Please join me and soprano for a recital of African music for voice and piano, including a gorgeous work by Liberian composer Daisy Hawa Moore. Click link in bio for tickets and info💜
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11/05/2023
I recently got to premiere my Whitney-inspired piece, “Run,” at the NYU composers’ seminar concert. What a strange feeling to play your own work on stage! Looking forward to premiering it in Europe at next weekend! 🤘🏽🤘🏽
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03/05/2023
What a wonderful set of concerts for Chamber Music at Lincoln Center last week! I got to share the stage with and to share chamber music by Black composers with young people from all over NYC. It was also so fun to work in the teacher’s guide for the concerts, and help students learn about these wonderful composers and their music. What a special project, so happy to be involved😊
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24/04/2023
Monday motivation from my PhD cohort (and ). It’s crunch time at the end of our second year, wish us luck! 😅😭🐶
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19/04/2023
Come see me! So excited for the music-filled weeks ahead😄
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07/04/2023
Happy Friday, people!
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05/04/2023
I had a much better day in NYC yesterday than some people😎
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24/03/2023
Coming up next for ! Join us at on May 20th for a concert in support of teachers in Liberia💜 Click link in bio for tickets.
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13/03/2023
Rainy Monday vibes w 🫶🏽
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05/03/2023
I got to perform with the talented Sahfi at last weekend’s concert. What a wonderful young artist, and what an inspiring way to perform ‘s music!
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03/03/2023
Mom appreciation post: Kiki Loves London] makes such beautiful recital dresses for me! It was so fun picking out this funky umbrella print together in Shepherd’s Bush and seeing this dress come together at her sewing table. I may never go back to concert black…😉P.S. she also designs beautiful kids’ clothes with African prints - click link in bio at Kiki Loves London]👌🏽 photo by
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About Kamilla
London-based pianist Kamilla Arku is a graduate of Yale University and the Royal Northern College of Music. Born in Switzerland to Liberian and Norwegian parents, Kamilla began to study the piano after moving to the U.S. at the age of 5. After graduating from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Virginia, she earned her undergraduate degrees in both Music and French from Yale University, where she also studied with Elisabeth Parisot at the Yale School of Music and Elisabeth Sun-Perge in Paris, France. Kamilla completed her postgradute study at the RNCM, earning her Master's Degree in Piano Performance and Postgraduate Diploma in Accompaniment under the tutelage of Carole Presland and Paul Janes. She has also studied privately with Paul Roberts and Charles Owen.
Kamilla has taken part in prestigious programmes such as the Britten Pears Young Artists Programme, the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove, and the London Masterclasses. She has been awarded scholarships and prizes by the Lions Club, Herndon Arts Council, Northern Virginia Music Teacher's Association, the National Merit Program, the National Achievement Program, Yale University, the RNCM and the Britten Pears Foundation. Kamilla has also performed in solo and chamber music masterclasses with artists such as Norma Fischer, Rita Wagner, Charles Owen, Susan Tomes, Paul Roberts, Christian Gerhaher, Boris Berman, Clifton Matthews, Ralph Kirschbaum and Bernhard Greenhouse.
Kamilla gave her London debut at the renowned 'Pianists of the World' series at St. Martin's-in-the-FIelds in 2013, and has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist at festivals and recitals in the UK and abroad. Highlights from the 2018-2019 season include recitals in Lisbon, London and Paris; interviews and performances on BBC Radio 3's 'In Tune' and on BBC Radio London; chamber music performances with Stephen Kovacevich, Alice Zawadzki and Gary Pomeroy; collaborations with visual artists Jordan Soderberg Mills and Amale Freiha Khlat; and world and European premieres of works by Lainie Fefferman, Tara Creme and Virginia Seay. She is especially passionate about introducing audiences to lesser-known and new composers, and regularly programmes music by female composers and composers from the African and Latin diaspora.
In addition to performing, Kamilla is also a teacher at the World Heart Beat Music Academy, and runs a vibrant private studio. She is also committed to volunteer efforts, and since 2008 has organised concerts and events in aid of Liberian children and education with her charity, Music for Liberia. In 2010, Kamilla had the honour of performing for the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and in 2012 the President thanked Kamilla and the artists for their 'generosity and compassion to help us address a critical problem.' In recognition of her work with Music for Liberia, she was also recently awarded a Jack Petchey Award for her service to young people.
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