Maya’s inspiring journey

How old were you when you started playing the violin, and why did you choose this instrument?

Maya beginning violin, age 5.

At first, music was, in a way, a means for me to feel closer to my family. My earliest musical memories are always accompanied by my mother’s cheerful voice. When I was five years old and it came time to choose an instrument to learn, I followed in her footsteps and began taking violin lessons, just as she had done at that age. My father also joined me in discovering the instrument, and those first practice sessions were always filled with laughter.

What has your musical journey been like?

After six years of violin lessons throughout elementary school, my passion for music grew tremendously when I began my secondary studies at the Vincent-d’Indy School of Music. My violin and chamber music lessons with Marie-Anne Rozankovic were a great source of inspiration, as were my choir and ear-training classes, which taught me how to listen more deeply.

Maya performs the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto at Maison Symphonique in 2023.

I then spent a year in Florence discovering early music. When I returned, it was through unique experiences—such as performing a concerto movement at the Maison Symphonique at Place des Arts with the Conservatoire de la Montérégie Symphony Orchestra (OSCM)—that I began to seriously consider a career in music.

After one year of collegiate studies at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, I enrolled in the performance program at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, where I study with Violaine Melançon. My interest in orchestral conducting also led me to pursue a minor in conducting with Alexis Hauser, which gives me the opportunity to conduct the McGill Symphony Orchestra on a regular basis.

What are some of your other interests?

When I am not playing or listening to music, I enjoy cycling or walking on Mount Royal while listening to podcasts that try to make sense of politics. I also spent a large part of my life dancing, whether in ballet or hip-hop, and that has influenced the way I experience and understand music.

What place does music hold in your life?

At the moment, I spend almost my entire days surrounded by music, whether through performances, rehearsals, or deepening my understanding of it in theory classes. Music continues to inspire me every day, especially when I have the opportunity to work with artists whose fresh perspectives play an important role in my development.

What are some of your inspirations and future projects?

I believe it is essential to make an effort to make classical music more accessible and to help young people build a stronger connection with it. With that in mind, I would like to organize concert series designed to introduce audiences to the beauty of classical music.

I also find that chamber music allows me to create meaningful emotional connections with others, and I hope it will always remain an important part of my life. I also have plans related to music research, including a project that explores how audiences respond to music created by artificial intelligence.

Join me for musical moments on April 15 and 16 with the OSM as part of their orchestral immersion program. In addition, my quartet will perform at the McGill International String Quartet Academy (MISQA) festival in August.

Maya with her former teacher, Marie-Anne Rozankovic, in concert at Festival Classica in 2025.

I will also be performing with the Festival Classica Orchestra on June 6 in the concert Les Grands Classiques de Michel Legrand.

MSO :Participation in the mentorship program : The Intense Leningrad Symphony by Shostakovich

MISQA: Participation in McGill’s chamber music program

 FC: Participation au Festival Classica
Michel Legrand Symphonique | Festival Classica | Rive-sud de Montréal