Maia-Maria

Maia-Maria started piano at 6 years old and studied in Kent with a local piano teacher until 2015; at which point, she was 10 years old and moved to Manchester. At this time, she started to study with Simon Bottomley, who continued to be her piano teacher for the next 8 years and who taught at Chetham’s School of Music . She was successful in her auditions to Chetham’s in 2016, and studied there under a scholarship for the following 7 years. During this time, she performed in various concerts and competitions, both internal and external and both piano and choir. Although her main focus and aim was to pursue solo piano music, she has participated in piano duets and accompanied instrumentalists in duets and trios and also performed piano concertos. As well as competing in England, she has been fortunate enough to go abroad to Poland and Belgium. She has achieved 2 performance diplomas in solo piano, one in 2019 and the other in 2023, achieving distinction in both. During 2019 through to 2022, she didn’t perform as much as she would’ve liked due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also falling ill herself. She ended up not playing piano at all for around 18 months. In 2023, she was granted a place at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she will study for an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in music for the next 4 years as well as continuing to pursue her piano career under the tuition of Richard Ormrod. During this time, she has regained confidence and resumed her performing career, performing with orchestras, chamber ensembles, singers and even doing film music concerts. She has also organised charity concerts for Palestine and eating disorder charities. Alongside the piano, Maia-Maria is a growing animal rights and climate activist. She hopes to be able to combine her love of music and the planet to share with others.