Maria Faust´s solo saxophone album MOnuMENT was selected worldwide as one of the 5 best solo albums in 2022 by New York City Jazz Record magazine.

click here for more information on MOnuMENT

Maria Faust’s new album “Mass of Mary” (ERP 2022) is out!

click here for more information

According to director Kaupo Kruusiaugu, he was inspired by the fierce character and independence of Maria Faust.

“I wanted to take a closer look at the price of creative uncompromisingness and a sensitive social nerve,” said Kruusiauk. “How does creativity spring from personal life? In addition, the theme of the film is the different standards presented to men and women and the courage to follow one’s own path.”

The shooting of MACHINA FAUST began in 2020. The birth process of three Maria Faust works has been followed: MARY’S MASS, ORGAN, and MOnuMENT. It was filmed both in Denmark, where Maria has mainly lived for the last 20 years, and in Estonia, where she stayed longer due to the Corona period.

The film will hit theaters on October 20th in Tallinn’s Apollo Kino. 

Bandcamp link: https://mariafaust.bandcamp.com/releases

Album also available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, etc

Feedback and reviews for MOnuMENT:

“The Estonian, Copenhagen-based saxophonist and composer Maria Faust is undoubtedly one of the most original creators of new music that is not either free jazz, improvisation, art music or esoteric folk tone – but all of them. Although not at the same time… Together with Maria Faust Jazz Catastrophe , Machina and Farm Fresh, Monument belongs without a doubt to her most exciting albums. ” – Peter Bornemar/Lira Musikmagasin

“Brilliant and moving composition” -Eyal Hareuveni (Salt Peanuts)

9/10 (Eesti Ekspress)

named to the Europe Jazz Media Chart (June 2022)

Maria Faust’s Sacrum Facere presented the material from their award winning album, ORGAN, to a sold-out crowd at Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on the 7th of November, 2021.

link to video (scroll to 58:12 – about halfway through!): https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/106322-018-A/c-tanrikulu-feat-g-cohen-t-delius-with-m-ribot-maria-fausts-sacrum-facere/?fbclid=IwAR1FjfXDqbEX3EYEICojC0TC2uSDM6vKHaoZVUbcAXtufVDA6i9YXTqXrlY

Photos by: Roland Owsnitzki/Berliner Festspiele

OCT 16th, 2021 – the world premier of Maria Faust’s MOnuMENT at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island in New York City – celebrating #LouisKahn120

The event was one of several international projects connecting Saaremaa island (Estonia) and Roosevelt island (NYC).

An inspiring collaboration between the Louis Kahn Estonia Foundation, the Ministry of Estonian Culture, and the Estonian House in NYC.

Translating Kahn’s architecture to music via graphic notation (by Maria Faust), the material was brought to life by an exciting quartet of brass and woodwind instrumentalists, including Faust on alto saxophone, Joe Boga on trumpet, Sam Kulik on trombone, and Dan Peck on tuba.

Photos: Eleri Ever (Faust on alto saxophone), Tanel Jõks (Roosevelt Island)

My work for choir, Mass of Mary, opened the European Jazz Conference 2021 in Tallinn on September 15th(!):

Woven Weapons (WW), inspired by ancient knitting patterns and epigenetics

One of my newest projects – Woven Weapons – premiered on the 7th of September, 2021 in on the Emajõgi River in Tartu, Estonia

A link to the radio broadcast from that day:
https://klassikaraadio.err.ee/1608322655/kontserdisaalis-maria-fausti-uudislooming-ule-emajoe

LINEUP:
Maria Faust – alto saxophone
Indrek Vau – trumpet
Andres Kontus – trombone
Liudas Mockunas – bass saxophone
Peter Bruun – percussion

A bit more about Woven Weapons:

As a composer, Maria Faust loves to tell stories that use contrasts and paradoxes from her own life, employing these as tools for creating music. WW gets its tools from epigenetics as well as knitting patterns, both using repetitive patterns.

Traditional Estonian folk costumes were worn as everyday clothes until as recently as the last century. The patterns on the clothes functioned as a language – communicating and telling stories between generations – and contained variations of symbols of protection. The only part of the traditional clothes that didn’t change over the centuries were the knitting patterns used for gloves – like a powerful shield to protect one’s family members.

Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes to DNA that do not involve alterations in DNA sequences. Simply said, heritable traumas are passed on from parent to child – for example, slavery, starvation, wars, and violence… also alcoholism and depression. In my mind, DNA tells the stories and carries symbols of protection in the same way knitting patterns do. The paradox is that something that protects you can also kill you.

I’m thrilled to share that my latest album – Maria Faust Sacrum Facere “Organ” (Stunt Records, 2020) was honored as Jazz Album of the Year at both the Danish Music Awards and Estonian Music Awards. It was also included in several international “best-of-2020” lists, including in Downbeat Magazine. Huge thank-yous to everyone who made the album possible and to those of you who have enjoyed it!

Here are some videos with music from the album:

Maria Faust has received the prestigious and annually awarded “Hæderspris” from DJBFA, the Danish Composers’ and Songwriters’ Association. The prize was presented on September 18th, 2019 to a sold-out crowd at Hotel Cecil in Copenhagen. The winners remain anonymous to the public until the ceremony each year, and Maria received the award (which included a cash prize, statuette, and a live presentation/interpretation of her own music arranged and performed by a specially selected group of musicians) with this introduction by DJBFA Board Member and presenter

Anna Lidell: “Maria Faust is an artist – and magician. As a composer and saxophonist, she practices the rare art of wordlessly conveying emotions and stories. She fights and hungers for testing new boundaries, and cross-pollinates impressions and genres to end up with her own unique expression.”