Mahani Teave (born 14 February 1983) is a classical pianist from
Easter Island
Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...
,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
.
Background
Teave was born on
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, to a
Rapa Nui father and an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
mother. She attended the
Austral University and studied music at the
Cleveland Institute of Music and
Hanns Eisler Music Academy (where she received the Konrad Adenauer Fellowship).
Music
Teave is considered Easter Island's only
classical musician.
She began playing Western classical music as a child, and, after her teacher left the island, Teave's family moved to mainland Chile so she could continue her musical education.
Teave has toured globally, including performances throughout Chile, Europe, and Asia.
Her first performance in Canada was in 2014 at the
Carleton University
Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...
symposium celebrating
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
.
In 2012, Teave founded the Easter Island Music School, the island's first music school, teaching piano, cello, ukulele, and violin.
She and her husband, Enrique Icka, manage the NGO Toki Rapa Nui, which helps sponsor the school.
In 2020, producer and filmmaker
John Forsen released a documentary, ''Song of Rapa Nui'', about Teave.
[
] The documentary focuses on her life journey through music as well as her contemporary work in
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...
. In 2021, Teave released her debut album, ''Rapa Nui Odyssey''.
It includes pieces by
Bach,
Chopin,
Handel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
,
Liszt,
Rachmaninov
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...
and
Scriabin.
Awards
In 2008, Teave's performance of
Rachmaninov's Concerto No. 1 (with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Chile) was awarded the APES Prize for the best classical music performance in Chile.
Additional awards Teave has won include the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition (2004), the Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition (1999), and Merit Prize (arts) from
Andrés Bello University (2012).
In 2012 Teave was selected to become a
Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway (), is a German-American piano company, founded in 1853 in Manhattan by German piano builder Henry E. Steinway, Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway). The company's growth led to ...
Artist.
In 2016 she received the Advancement of Women Award from
Scotiabank
The Bank of Nova Scotia (french: link=no, Banque de Nouvelle-Écosse), operating as Scotiabank (french: link=no, Banque Scotia), is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. One of Canada ...
for her leadership and work on Easter Island promoting music.
References
External links
Official website ()
Performances by One Toki Rapa Nui and the music school on Easter Island
{{DEFAULTSORT:Teave, Mahani
Living people
1983 births
Rapanui people
Chilean people of American descent
Chilean people of Rapanui descent
American people of Rapanui descent
Austral University of Chile alumni
Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin alumni
Cleveland Institute of Music alumni
Chilean women musicians
Chilean classical pianists
Women classical pianists
21st-century classical pianists
21st-century women pianists