Biography
Mélanie Bruniaux
Mélanie Bruniaux also known as Anima Keltia is a Celtic and Medieval music harpist. She was born in Belgium but she's currently living in Italy.
When she was a 8 year-old girl she happened to step into a church where a harp was being played. For a well hour or two little Mélanie stood utterly entranced and speechless in front of that instrument, captured by the haunting sound of those magical strings. Playing the harp has become her fascination and her main purpose in life since.
Saba Ferrari describes her music and her artistry in a very poetic way: "The strings of her harp, plucked and caressed, bring to mind the fairy woodlands, mischievous goblins, nymphs and underwater cities, taking us in a magical world of poetry". Actually, she also looks like someone who has just popped out from a Celtic fairy-tale.
Anima Keltia first official album titled "Vita Dominae. Medieval and Renaissance Music" (on label Maxy Sound) will be released on the February 2016 and it will comprise Medieval and Renaissance music performed on Celtic Harp (Mélanie Bruniaux), Bodhram and Percussions (Andreè Bottiglioni), Flutes (Amélie Grunenberger), Voice (Lucia de Carlo) and Eleonora Galassi (Cello). Vita Dominae is a journey inside the medieval woman's life, including tunes such as "Greensleeves", "Douce Dame Jolie", "Give me your Hand", "Chanson de Table", "Scarborouh Fair" and many others from Britanny, England, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain and other areas of the Celtic world.
Anima Keltia second official album titled "Celtic Land. Breton, Irish and Scottish Music" (on label Maxy Sound) will be released on the March 2017. Catic Land is performed on Celtic Harp (Mélanie Bruniaux), Bodhram and Percussions (Andreè Bottiglioni), Flutes (Rafaello Bifulco), Voice (Lucia de Carlo) and Olivier Schmitt (violin). It's a journey through ancestral sound ans lands of celtci countries, including tunes such as "Women of Ireland", "Brian Boru's March", "Flowers of Edinburg", "Butterfly jig", "An Alar'ch", "Auld Lang Syne", "Skye Boat Song" and many others from Britanny, Scottland, and Ireland.
Mélanie studied harp at the Académie de Musique et des Arts Parlés of Fleurus in Belgium. For several years she attended update sessions for Orff-Schulwerk’s music method, dance movement courses, a therapy method by Fux-De Vera of Aragon in Verona, Florence and Milan. Mélanie also attended harp workshops with international artists such as Myrdhin, Anne-Gaelle Cuif, Ralf Kleeman, Nadia Birkenstock, Seana Davey, Janet Harbison, Cristine Merienne, Enrico Euron, Clotilde Trouillaud, Reidun Schlesinger, Frankie Gavin, Jochen Vogel, Wendy Steward, Sarah Deere-Jones, Rachel Hair, Lorenza Pollini, Katia Zunino and Arianna Savall. She is currently studying Baroque Harp at Conservatorio di Verona and Harp Terapy IHTP with Marianne Gubri and Christina Tourin.
Since March 2013 she has performed in Italy, Ireland, France and Belgium as a soloist and in collaboration with other artists in various contexts: cultural evenings, photographic exhibition openings, fantasy inspired and Celtic festivals, private events, book presentations and historical revivals.
In March 2013 she also joined Belthane (a Celtic-Fantasy band). Between 2014-2015 she works with the medieval group Caligo Purpurea. In 2015-2016 she collaborate with the Belgian Celtic Folk group "Brigantia Belgae". She's a member of "Celtic European Orchestra" and of "Chordae Antiquae" . She teach Celtic harp in Aronne Music School Academy and in CEA School.
Her producer Max Titi said:"Anima Keltia's performance makes the irregularity regular and the discordant concord. Her music flows in delight with so much delicacy while her harp is softly caressed in such a soothing and harmonious rendition. The tinkling of her harp is expressed with freedom upon the shrilling higher frequencies and when she reaches the lowest notes in such a sweet slowness or with frantic virtuoso rapidity at times. Anima Keltia is really capable of immersing the audience into the magic of a Celtic world and deep down to the intricacy of a riveting stream of colours and sounds. I am sure that everyone will love her music and that's why we firmly wanted her to be part of our roster."