Duo Mares - Volume Nuevo (2014)

Marko Kassl (*1976 Klagenfurt / Austria) studied with Mie Miki. He graduated with honors from the University of Music Detmold/Abt. Dortmund, he did his concert exam at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen. Marko Kassl was a scholarship holder of the Richard Wagner Association and received the GWK sponsorship award. He has won the Austrian Accordion Competition and is a prizewinner at the JAA International Accordion Competition in Tokyo and the international ProLoco Competition in Italy.

Esra Pehlivanli (*1977 Ankara / Turkey) studied with Mikhail Kugel and completed her studies at the Conservatory in Ghent and at the Conservatory in Maastricht with distinction. Esra Pehlivanli was a prizewinner at the Krzysztof Penderecki Int. Contemporary Music Competition in Kraków and at the Torneo Internazionale di Musica in Italy. She won 1st prize at the Int. Viola Competition Premio Valentino Bucchi, where she was also awarded the Italian President's Medal of Honour.

As Duo Mares, both musicians were honored with their interdisciplinary project "Volume Nuevo+" at the Jur Naessens Music Award 2009 in the Netherlands. The repertoire of the Duo Mares includes transcriptions of great works from music history as well as original compositions for viola and accordion. In close cooperation with composers, new pieces are created for this extraordinary cast.