Maiani (maya-ni) da Silva
is a violinist who has performed throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. As a saught-after collaborator, Maiani performs and records both solo and with her sextet Eighth Blackbird, among other ensembles and series in the classical and contemporary
classical music realm.
Maiani first picked up the violin at age 8 thanks to Ms. Carol Dobbs in South Central Los Angeles, and later went on to study under the tutelage of
legends Irina Muresanu (in Boston),
and Mela Tenenbaum (in New York).
Praised for the sensitivity and refinement of her playing, and performances that unfold “almost as if in a dream” (Fanfare Magazine, 2024), violinist Maiani da Silva has emerged as a distinctive voice in contemporary and classical music in the United States and beyond. She is the founder of Brouhaha, a solo project exploring the Anthropocene through music and science, member of the “imperious” (The Guardian, 2024), four-time GRAMMY® Award–winning sextet Eighth Blackbird (8BB). With 8BB, she premiered and recorded David Lang’s composition as explanation (Cedille Records), nominated for a Grammy Award in 2025. Maiani has appeared as a soloist and for chamber performances internationally, from N.Y.C to Paris, and in festivals such as Gilmore, Long Play, and Geneva Music Festivals, and world premieres of concerti grossi with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the United States Navy Band, among others.
As a sought-after interpreter of contemporary repertoire, Maiani has premiered works by Joan Tower, Clarice Assad, Du Yun, Viet Cuong, and Raven Chacon, and has collaborated closely with composers including Jonathan Bailey Holland, Louis Andriessen, and George Lewis.
Maiani joined the faculty of Yale University’s Department of Music in 2021, where she lectures on the performance of contemporary music. She also serves on the faculty of the Blackbird Creative Lab, has been a guest artist at Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music and Kenya International Chamber Festival (KICF), and is Artist in Residence and Fellow at Yale’s Morse College.
Maiani has been featured on several esteemed record labels, including Cedille Records, New Focus Recordings, and Navona Records, and Sono Luminos. Her work across these catalogs shows a commitment to innovative collaborations, highlighting the distinctive contemporary classical and experimental creators of our time.
Maiani studied under the tutelage of Irina Muresanu at The Boston Conservatory and the legendary Mela Tenenbaum in New York. Other important mentors include Lenny Matczynski and Andrew Mark.