KHEMEIA | When Voice and Guitar Merge

On November 13, two musical worldviews, two different personalities and two stories becoming one will meet at DownTown Piano Lab. On stage will be Italian vocalist Aurora Marchese and Icelandic guitarist Mikael Máni Ásmundsson, who together form the project KHEMEIA.

Their musical acquaintance began in Amsterdam in January 2023. Aurora and Mikael were brought together by a love of meaningful lyrics, jazz ballads and stories in which music becomes more than just a sequence of beautiful sounds. They nurtured their creative partnership in the multicultural environment of the Amsterdam conservatory, where their different experiences naturally found a common language.

Aurora's Italian emotional expressiveness, sensitive voice and ability to turn every song into a living story blend here with the musical imagination Mikael brings from Iceland and the poetic sound of his guitar. In their work, voice and guitar do not merely accompany one another: they converse, respond, merge and together create an intimate musical world that reveals itself differently each time.

The duo's very name reflects this idea. KHEMEIA is associated with the Greek word χημεία, meaning joining and merging. It is the musical chemistry of two distinctive artists, in which Nordic subtlety meets southern warmth and sound is inseparable from storytelling.

KHEMEIA's music has already been heard on various European stages. The duo has performed at Amsterdam's Roode Bioscoop and collaborated with Amarte Fonds and Italy's Fondazione Estro Musicale. The latter also contributed to the creation of the performers' first album.

In 2025, listeners heard the first singles, Little Bird and The Lake, followed shortly by the debut album KHEMEIA, released by RNC Music. In 2026, it was nominated in the best album category at the Icelandic Music Awards. The duo's work has also been featured on programmes and radio stations including DC Notte, Radio Splash and Como Radio International. Reaching the final of the Grachtenfestival Jazz Competition marked another significant step.

On the evening of November 13, DownTown Piano Lab invites you to experience KHEMEIA up close: a subtle, live and open dialogue between two performers, in which voice and guitar merge.

Aurora Marchese (Italy) - vocals
Mikael Máni Ásmundsson (Iceland) - guitar

The Dainykla project is partially funded by Vilnius City Municipality.