Marta Popovici

When Marta asks you ‘How are you?’, she means it. Her music is an invitation for contemplation and reflection, for honesty with oneself. Her use of harmony and melody support the sharp imagery of the lyrics, creating an emotional journey that builds up to a cathartic release. Ranging from hopeful to fearful, from delicate to heavy, her music is always vulnerable, an invitation for the listeners to open up to their own vulnerability. 

Born in 1998 in Iasi, Romania, Marta Popovici had her first contact with singing when she was 4 years old. She decided to follow the path of formal studies in jazz music, at the National University of Music, Bucharest, later on completing the New York Jazz Master’s program of the Prince Claus Conservatory, in Groningen, The Netherlands.

In 2018 she formed her own group, Marta Popovici & On the Fly, with which she quickly became one of the most active voices in the Romanian jazz scene. Since 2017 she has performed at major jazz festivals in Romania (JazzX - 2021, Jazz In The Park - 2022, Garana Jazz - 2023), and has performed in Turkey (ICR Istanbul), USA (New York), Germany (Papenburg, Mepen, Lingen), Austria (Vienna) and The Netherlands (Groningen) as a bandleader and as a collaborator.

Her writing is a melting pot for jazz, pop, fusion, folk and rock. Inspired by artists such as Becca Stevens, Esperanza Spalding, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, Marta fuses the harmonic richness of jazz with the poetic lyricism of storytelling. 

She released her debut album, Round Dance, in 2022. She is currently based in Groningen and is working on her second album.