Maya
An internationally recognised, prize-winning cellist, composer, singer-songwriter and performance creator.
Maya Fridman is an internationally recognised, prize-winning artist. Discovered as a prodigy at an early age, she was trained as a classical cellist – also secretly playing in underground metal bands. In 2010, she was admitted to the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Six years later, she graduated cum laude under the tutelage of Dmitry Ferschtman. Touring worldwide, Maya established herself as a leading classical cellist and gradually expanded her artistic work to include composition, songwriting and performance creation. Standing out for her open-minded, undogmatic approach to music, she later became artistic director of the music label TRPTK and has contributed to more than 25 albums, including over nine released under her own name.
The work
Some of Maya’s work is commissioned, some is self-initiated. She works both as a soloist and in collaboration with other artists, using various forms of expression: from cello and electronics to visuals, singing and storytelling. She moves fluidly between contemporary classical repertoire and alternative music, performing both her own compositions and those of others. Her projects are known for reimagining music as a ritual-like space for transformation and connection. Using symbolism, mythology and philosophy, she creates albums and performances that invite imagination, interpretation and shared exploration, drawing audiences into immersive, thought-provoking experiences that invite reflection on what it means to be human. Beyond performing and creating, Maya also founded the Maya Fridman Foundation, a platform for developing and producing adventurous artistic projects that often involve long-term interdisciplinary collaboration. Besides, she established the TRIDA Foundation, which organises benefit concerts in support of people affected by war and humanitarian crises, including in Ukraine.
The drive
Inquisitive and reflective, Maya is driven by a search for meaning and understanding. Through artistic and academic research, collaborations with scientists and philosophers, and a fascination with ritual, mysticism and ancient sources, she investigates the space between rational understanding and intuitive experience. Rather than offering answers, Maya aims to create temporary worlds in which audiences can reflect and encounter fresh perspectives. At the heart of her artistic work lies the belief that music need not be observed from a distance, but can become a catalyst for transformation, connection and new ways of seeing the world.
Selected highlights
- Winner of the Dutch Classical Talent Award (2019).
- Concertgebouw debut (2019).
- Artist in Residence at Musis Sacrum (2026-2027), November Music (2023), TivoliVredenburg (2020-2021) and Gaudeamus (2018-2019).
- A 2024 Bang on a Can Summer Festival composition fellow. Her works have been premiered at the Bang on a Can Summer Festival and Grachtenfestival.
- In 2022, her work organising benefit concerts for Ukraine was documented in the film United We Stand (Musicians in Time of War) by David van Tijn, which premiered at the EYE Filmmuseum.
- Contributed to more than 25 albums, most of them released through TRPTK, the label where she is also artistic director. These include Ordo Ritualis (2025), her first solo album consisting entirely of original compositions, and The Power of Indifference (2023), her first album of original songs.
- Creator of interdisciplinary projects including Thunder Perfect Mind, XIV and Time Behold Now.
- Collaborates across disciplines and genres with artists including LudoWic, Einar Solberg, Efrén López, Tomoko Mukaiyama and Maxim Shalygin, among others.
- Founder of the Maya Fridman Foundation and the TRIDA Foundation.
- Conducting doctoral research on the ritualization of concert practice at Leiden University.
- Ambassador for the GEWA Novita 3.0 electric cello.