ABOUT

Cununa Ensemble

The Cununa Ensemble was founded in the Netherlands and consists of five musicians. Each member has a background in classical music or a comparable folk music education. Driven by a shared passion for diverse musical styles, songs, and a broad interpretative range, they collectively weave a rich and enchanting musical wreath (Cununa).

Their unique interplay transcends borders, effortlessly bridging the rich traditions of Romanian and Turkish folk music, enriched with influences from other Balkan countries as well as the classical music world. The result is a profound and immersive listening experience that touches and awakens the soul.

Through their repertoire, they tell stories that open up a world of emotions. Their instruments serve as a medium through which they preserve and share the beauty, history, and traditions with their audience.
Whether it is a rustic village dance, challenging rhythmic irregular time signatures, hypnotic and lyrical Turkish melodies, virtuosic fast-paced Romanian dance music, or a lamenting ballad — the Cununa Ensemble masters their instruments at a level where no soul remains untouched by the sound they create.

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Biography


Mariana Preda (Panflute & Vocals)


Mariana Preda is a Romanian pan flute player, born and raised in Romania, where she began her musical education at the Târgoviște Music School. She later moved to the Netherlands to pursue her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Classical Pan Flute at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
Mariana has performed with a wide variety of ensembles and concert series around the world, presenting both contemporary and traditional folk music to international audiences. Alongside her performing career, she is actively dedicated to the development of pan flute pedagogy, technique, and repertoire. She has given masterclasses and workshops at institutions including Radford University, Harding University, and Lyon College. In addition, she teaches her own pan flute lessons and courses in Amsterdam.
Beyond the pan flute, Mariana has been singing in choirs since early childhood, which has naturally given her a warm, expressive voice that offers audiences a deeply immersive listening experience in an vast genre of styles.

Burak Savas (Violin & Turkish Vocals)
Burak Savaş began singing and playing the violin during his adolescence. In 2013, he started taking singing and tanbur lessons at Ege University State Conservatory of Turkish Music. During this period, he participated in numerous concerts and artistic projects as both a violinist and vocalist.
He later completed his Master’s degree in Turkish Violin at Codarts University for the Arts. He has performed with, among others, the Kudsi Erguner Ensemble.
Currently, he teaches Turkish vocal music at Codarts in Rotterdam.

Dani Luca (Cimbalom)
Born in Romania, Dani Luca grew up in a deeply musical environment where traditional folk and Romani music played a central role. From an early age, he was surrounded by this rich heritage through his father, grandfather, and uncle, who introduced him to its expressive language and traditions. The cimbalom quickly became his natural voice — the instrument through which he developed an exceptional sense of musicality and expression.
Guided by his father, he laid the foundation for his development as a cimbalom player and gradually evolved into a versatile musician with a distinct artistic identity, blending tradition with contemporary musical influences.
Throughout his career, he has collaborated with a wide range of leading musicians, including Rosanne Philippens, Lucie Horsch, Emmy Storms, Noa Eyl, among many others. He has also performed with prominent orchestras and ensembles such as the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, NoordPool Orkest, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the DoelenEnsemble, the Atlas Ensemble, Philzuid, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, among others.
In addition to the cimbalom, he is also an accomplished pianist. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, where he obtained both his Bachelor’s degree (2009) and Master’s degree (2011). During his studies, he worked with piano professors such as David Kuijken (Bachelor’s level) and Naum Grubert (Master’s level), and participated in numerous masterclasses and artistic projects both within and outside the conservatoire.
His broad musical background allows him to seamlessly connect different styles and traditions, resulting in performances that feel both free and deeply narrative — as if told by a true musical storyteller.
Alongside his performing career, Dani Luca runs his own piano teaching practice (HIP School) in the The Hague and Delft region and teaches at Globe CKC in Hilversum.

Gabriel Barbalau (Double Bass)
From the age of 10, Gabriel Barbalau studied the cello at the music college "George Enescu" in Bucharest, Romania. However, his great skill on the double bass also made him a member of the state folk ensemble "Ciocarlia" at the age of 19.
In this way he became acquainted with the prominent musicians of Romania, as well as with pan flute player Nicolae Pirvu with whom he came to the Netherlands. Here he obtained his diploma for classical double bass at both the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and the Sweelinck Conservatory of Amsterdam. Since then he has been active both nationally and internationally in various symphony orchestras, chamber music and world music projects.

Alper Kekeç (Percussion)
Born in Istanbul (Bakırköy), Alper Kekeç began his musical journey at a young age with mandolin and bağlama studies. In 1995, he was admitted to the Ege University State Conservatory of Turkish Music, where he initially studied the tar.
Shortly after, he shifted his focus to percussion, a field in which he would build a versatile and distinguished career. Over the years, he has collaborated with many leading Turkish folk singers, performing across a wide range of styles on drums and various percussion instruments, and contributing to numerous album recordings.
In 2004, he joined the West African Music Department of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Today, he combines teaching percussion at both the Codarts University for the Arts and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with an active performing career in various ensembles.