Maria Markatatou is a mandolinist, educator, and artistic researcher based in Antwerp, Belgium. Born in Heraklion, Crete, she studied mathematics at the University of Ioannina together with her sister Elina, while also receiving formal training in harmony and counterpoint at the Filippos Nakas Conservatory. In the early stages of their careers, Maria and Elina performed widely throughout Greece, engaging with a diverse repertoire of urban and regional musical traditions.
In 2013, Maria and Elina moved together to Belgium to continue their studies in mandolin performance at the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp under the mentorship of professor Gerda Abts. Both sisters earned bachelor and master of Arts degrees in Music with distinction. Their collaborative master’s research focused on the four main traditions of mandolin music in Greece, providing the groundwork for their current doctoral projects.
Since 2019, Maria and Elina have been jointly conducting PhD research in the Arts at the Royal Conservatoire and the University of Antwerp. Their research focuses on the mandolin repertoire and performance practices of the Ionian Islands, Crete, Athens, and the Greek-speaking communities of Asia Minor. Their approach is rooted in artistic research and includes embodied performance, transcription, archival exploration, and collaboration with musicians, aiming to uncover idiomatic techniques and the interplay between oral and written traditions.
Maria also teaches mandolin, chamber music, and music initiation at various music academies across Flanders. Together with Elina, she has given concerts, workshops, and masterclasses in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, and Greece. Beyond academia, Maria and Elina are involved in artistic projects that include ensemble collaborations, mandolin orchestra performances, and international educational initiatives.
(c) Beatriz Laborda Gonzalez
Update: April 2025