Mariel Mayz
Biography
"You'll no doubt be enveloped by Mayz's magical virtuosity as a performer and composer."
(Kabir Sehgal, 5-time Grammy & 3-time Latin Grammy Award Winner)
New York native Mariel Mayz is a sought-after composer, pianist, and educator. Mariel's original works have been described as inventive, colorful, compelling, and well-crafted; and according to critics, "in Mayz's very capable hands pieces are illuminated with tremendous poise, warmth and a talent that few will ever replicate" (Take Effect Reviews).
In September 2022, Mariel's debut album Leo Brouwer: Cuban Sketches for Piano was released by the ZOHO music label, featuring premiere recordings of piano works by Leo Brouwer as well as her own original compositions and arrangements. The album's release concert was presented in conjunction with her debut performance at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. In 2023, Mariel also made her debut at Dizzy's Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center as part the NYC Sonic Festival performance curated by Clarice Assad.
Mariel's most recent works include commissions from the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (Los Angeles, CA); Sarasa Ensemble (Cambridge, MA); two commissioned works for "The Illustrated Pianist," celebrating the centennial of American author Ray Bradbury; the Higher Ground Festival (NYC); guitarist Nora Spielman; violist Elise Frawley; the Bloomingdale School of Music; Nyack College; soprano Lara Martins, and two-time Latin Grammy nominee João Luiz— whose dedicated piece Stifled was a finalist in the Portugal International Guitar Composition Competition. Mariel's first large-scale work for the stage—a one-act, chamber opera— was commissioned by American Opera Projects and the Hunter Opera Theater. The work was premiered by the Hunter Opera Theater and Talea Ensemble during the 2018 New York Opera Fest.
Mariel's arrangements have also been performed by renowned artists such as Anthony Roth Costanzo, the Atlantic Collective, and Lara Downes— who just recorded Mariel’s arrangement of I'll Be Seeing You on her latest album "Love At Last" released by Pentatone.
Mariel's major teachers include pianists José Ramón Mendez, Seymour Bernstein, and Geoffrey Burleson; and composers Suzanne Farrin, Justin Dello Joio, Erin Gee, Yu-Hui Chang and David Rakowski.
Mariel is currently a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University while simultaneously pursuing a PhD in Composition and Theory at Brandeis University. Previous teaching positions include Adjunct Professor of Music Theory and lecturer for the Arts Management & Leadership Certificate at CUNY Hunter College, as well as Program Coordinator for the Hunter Mellon Arts Fellowship— a pivotal program for diversity and inclusion within the field of arts management and leadership.
Mariel is the Co-Founder and Associate Director of Porto Pianofest — an international piano festival based in Porto, Portugal.
