Mihai Victor Iliescu (guitars/vocals) is the brain and leader of ZMEI3. In 2011, while in Berlin, he formed the band and created the concept of a new musical style - Rough Romanian Soul. He also writes the lyrics of ZMEI3 in a very personal key.

The musical vision of Mihai Victor Iliescu is the result of a wild life experience in the 90s in Romania, as well as the influence of rock, punk, Johann Sebastian Bach and Tom Waits. The expression is the rebellious, unruly feeling of

ROUGH
ROMANIAN
​SOUL.

As a child Mihai learned to play classical guitar. Later he went to law school, and became a lawyer. Being unhappy, he shifted to advertising and became creative director, only to find another dead road. It was only the third time that he quit his corporate job – this time for good - packed all his things in his car and left to Berlin to become a musician.

​This is how ZMEI3 was born.

THE BRAIN
The powerful voice of ZMEI3 is Paula Turcas, a soprano opera singer who gave up classical music in the pursuit of a more truthful artistry grounded in the struggles of everyday life.

Still very young, Paula left her small village in Transylvania to study music in the big city. After much

LONELINESS

and struggle, she became an acclaimed baroque music soprano touring across Europe.

Graduated at Hochschule Musik und Theater Zürich, followed by contemporary music at Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano. Member of Schweizer Opernstudio Biel and Opernhaus Biel-Solothurn. Specialized in ancient music at the Karlsruhe Händel International Academy. Performed with baroque music ensembles at Händel Festspielle Halle, Bayreuth Barock, Warsaw Philharmonic, Opernhaus Passau. Won the Prize of the Elsy Meyer Foundation in Zürich.

In the music of ZMEI3 she feels she’s finally home.

THE VOICE
Oli Bott (vibes/keys) composes the extraordinary music of ZMEI3. His virtuoso, explosive, flamboyant vibraphone improvisations are at the core of the ZMEI3 sound.

​Oli Bott is the lead instrument of ZMEI3. From the softest note that he's playing, to the wildest explosions of energy, each sound coming out of his vibes creates

PURE MAGIC

which leaves the audiences in pure awe.

Oli Bott was selected by Gary Burton for a special scholarship at the Berklee College of Music, which he graduated summa cum laude.

He received several scholarships from the city of Berlin and composition commissions for his own jazz orchestra. Many of his concerts throughout Europe were recorded by TV and radio. He obtained awards at various international competitions such as the "NDR-Musikpreis" for big band conductors, the 1st prize at the Improvisation Competition in Leipzig, the Europ Jazz Contest and the Wayne Shorter Award, USA.

Still, he doesn’t think about himself as a jazz musician.

​But as a free musician.

THE
WIZARD

ARNI

Arnulf Ballhorn plays both double bass and electric bass in a simple and powerful style that concentrates all his mastery into pure energy.
​
Arnulf learned double bass at the University of Arts in Berlin, and later with Miroslav Vitous and Renaud García-Fons. With Gary Willis and Jonas Hellborg he learned electric bass. Since 2001 Arnulf plays at the much-acclaimed Komische Oper. He's very much into contemporary music, playing at many international festivals with the Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin, as well as tango and jazz with Vibratanghissimo and Per Arne Glorvigen Trio.

The custom builder of electric basses Andreas Kristall makes instruments following his specifications.

He owns his own label and record company, ballhorn-records, specializing in recordings made in special and unusual locations.

THE FRIENDS​
​

AGUSTIN

Agustín Strizzi was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and started playing drums and doing gigs since his early years.

​His musical journey include formal studies at the Palermo University, the ITMC (Contemporary Music Institute) and at Argentine Society of Authors and Music Composers (SADAIC), and also private lessons with experts and renowned musicians. To expand his horizons he also travelled to USA, Brazil, Cuba, Uruguay & Poland.

He toured and performed extensively on rock stages, TV shows, jazz festivals, theaters and Musicals in Argentina, Cuba, Brasil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Mexico, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany & Poland, to name a few.

NELU

“I was born on 23 April 1948 in Bucharest, in a humble family of workers. We lived in a yard with other families. In the summer, on a huge stone in front of our door, neighbours used to gather and played music. One had a harmonica, another had a drum. One day on Christmas eve my father asked me what do I wish. I instantly said: a harmonica. That night I couldn’t sleep at all, spying on my dad’s every move. At midnight I saw him hanging in the tree two shiny little objects. I couldn’t resist anymore, woke up and took one of the harmonicas. My dad took the other, and started to play softly a few old songs. He was drunk and happy – probably, apart from the talent, I inherited this from him too. I went asleep with the harmonica under my pillow, and didn’t leave it ever since.”

ADAM

“Back then I was already working in the factory, and you know, during Communist times each factory had to have a band. Our factory had a band of harmonicas. They took me there and asked me to imitate some rhythms. Then they said: he’s good. You’re good, young man. We’re taking you for our band. You’ll play chord harmonica. But… I asked… what is the chord harmonica? And then the old dude who was conducting the band showed it to me. That’s it, young man. The biggest of all harmonicas.”