Maiani da Silva
Violinist Maiani (maya-ní) da Silva
is a soloist and chamber musician who has performed throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. As a saught-after collaborator, Maiani performs and records with a wide array of 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 a member of the “imperious” (The Guardian, 2024), four-time GRAMMY® Award–winning sextet Eighth Blackbird (8BB), and the founder of Brouhaha, a solo project exploring the Anthropocene through music and science (forthcoming album release in 2026, Sono Luminos). With 8BB, she premiered and recorded David Lang’s composition as explanation (Cedille Records), nominated for a Grammy Award in 2025, and has appeared as soloist for 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 also premiered works by Joan Tower, Du Yun, Viet Cuong, and Raven Chacon, and has collaborated closely with composers including Jonathan Bailey Holland, Louis Andriessen, and George Lewis. Recent highlights include the U.S. premiere of Sophia Jani’s Six Pieces for Solo Violin at Bang on a Can’s Long Play Festival (2025) and recordings with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP).
While meeting the expressive and innovative demands of contemporary music with magnetic presence, Maiani is equally sought-after in the performance of traditional repertoire, for which she has been commended for her stylistic sophistication. Beyond the classical stage, she has appeared with artists such as Julianna Barwick, Childish Gambino and Peter Gabriel.
Maiani joined the faculty of Yale University’s Department of Music in 2021, where she lectures on the performance of contemporary chamber 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 is Artist in Residence and Fellow at Yale’s Morse College.
Maiani studied under the tutelage of Irina Muresanu at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and the legendary Mela Tenenbaum in New York. Other important mentors include Lenny Matczynski and Andrew Mark.