KHEMEIA is the artistic collaboration between Italian vocalist Aurora Marchese and Icelandic guitarist Mikael Máni Ásmundsson.
The music they four-handedly compose unfolds as a cinematic journey, built through musical images that shape a dual atmosphere: the cool, restrained undertones inspired by Icelandic landscapes, combined with a warm, lyrical sensibility rooted in Italian song tradition. If asked what their music sounds like, they would describe it as a meeting point between the elegance of jazz harmony, the narrative strength of the singer-songwriter tradition,
and soundscapes that develop layer by layer.
At the core of KHEMEIA lies a continuous dialogue between voice and guitar. Songs are born from an intimate exchange, where melody, harmony and lyrics develop together, one from the other. The voice is treated not only as a carrier of text, but as a musical instrument
shaping rhythm, phrasing and form; the guitar functions both as harmonic foundation and as a melodic, responsive partner.
From this nucleus, the music expands into a broader ensemble setting. In quintet formation, with piano, bass and drums, the same material opens into a wider sonic environment. The ensemble does not replace the duo, but extends it, preserving the intimacy of the original voice–guitar core while allowing for greater dynamic range, textural depth and interaction.
For this reason, KHEMEIA exists both as a duo and as an ensemble, adapting to different contexts while maintaining a coherent musical identity.
Aurora and Mikael met in January 2023 in Amsterdam, where their collaboration grew within a vibrant and international musical environment. Despite their different backgrounds, they quickly developed a shared language based on sensitivity, sound and listening. The name KHEMEIA, from the Greek χημεία (“to fuse together”), reflects this process: a space where two distinct musical perspectives come together and gradually form a single voice.
Since forming, KHEMEIA has performed across various European contexts, including a showcase at the Roode Bioscoop in Amsterdam (supported by Amarte Fonds) and projects connected to Fondazione Estro Musicale in Italy, which also supported the recording of their
debut album.
In 2025, they released their first singles, “Little Bird” and “The Lake”, marking the beginning of their international presence, including platforms such as Bugs in South Korea. Later that year, they released their debut album KHEMEIA through the Italian label RNC Music. The
album was nominated for Best Album at the Icelandic Music Awards 2026.
Their work has also been featured on DC Notte, broadcast on Radio Splash and Como Radio International.
In 2026, KHEMEIA was selected to compete in the Grachtenfestival Jazz Competition,
marking an important step in the project’s ongoing development within the European scene.
