Maya Beiser (born 31 December 1963) is an American

musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

performing artist The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Per ...

and producer who lives in New York City. Beiser was raised on a

kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

by her

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

mother and

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

father, and graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

School of Music. She has been described by the

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

as "a force of nature", "a cello goddess" by ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' and "the reigning queen of the avant-garde cello" by ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''. Beiser is a 2015

United States Artists United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards. Mission The organization' ...

Distinguished Music Fellow and the Inaugural Mellon Distinguished Visiting Artist at the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology.

Biography

Maya Beiser was born 31 December 1963 in Gazit, a kibbutz in Israel. Her mother was French, her father Argentinian. As a child, she played the piano before switching to the cello. At age twelve, she was discovered by the violinist

Isaac Stern Isaac Stern (July 21, 1920 – September 22, 2001) was an American violinist. Born in Ukraine, Stern moved to the United States when he was 14 months old. Stern performed both nationally and internationally, notably touring the Soviet Union a ...

and embarked on a solo career. Beiser graduated from

School of Music in 1987. She collaborated with composers

Louis Andriessen Louis Joseph Andriessen (; 6 June 1939 – 1 July 2021) was a Dutch composer, pianist and academic teacher. Considered the most influential Dutch composer of his generation, he was a central proponent of The Hague school of composition. Although ...

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer best known as a pioneer of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, and canons. Reich descr ...

, David Lang,

Tan Dun Tan Dun (, ; born 18 August 1957) is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. A leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a pairing which has shaped much of his life and mu ...

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

Osvaldo Golijov Osvaldo Noé Golijov (; born December 5, 1960) is an Argentine composer of classical music and music professor, known for his vocal and orchestral work. Biography Osvaldo Golijov was born in and raised in La Plata, Argentina, to a Jewish family ...

, Michael Gordon, Michael Harrison,

Julia Wolfe Julia Wolfe (born December 18, 1958) is an American composer and professor of music at New York University. According to ''The Wall Street Journal'', Wolfe's music has "long inhabited a terrain of its own, a place where classical forms are rech ...

Mark Anthony Turnage Mark-Anthony Turnage (born 10 June 1960) is an English composer of contemporary classical music. Life and career Mark-Anthony Turnage was born in Corringham, Essex on 10 June 1960. Turnage was the eldest of three children. His parents were lov ...

, visual artists

Shirin Neshat Shirin Neshat (; born March 26, 1957) is an Iranian photographer and visual artist who lives in New York City, known primarily for her work in film, video and photography. Her artwork centers on the contrasts between Islam and the West, femininit ...

, and Bill Morrison, dancer

Wendy Whelan Wendy Whelan (; born May 7, 1967) is an American ballet dancer. She was principal dancer with the New York City Ballet and performed with the company for 30 years, and toured in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Whelan has also been an influential gue ...

and choreographer

Lucinda Childs Lucinda Childs (born June 26, 1940) is an American postmodern dancer and choreographer. Her compositions are known for their minimalistic movements yet complex transitions. Childs is most famous for being able to turn the slightest movements into ...

. Beiser was a speaker at the 2011 TED conference in Long Beach California. Her TEDtalk performance has been watched by over a million people and translated to 34 languages. Beiser has conceived, performed and produced three multimedia concerts for

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

: ''World To Come;'' ''Almost Human'', a collaboration with visual artist

and composer

Eve Beglarian Eve Beglarian (born Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S., July 22, 1958) is a contemporary American composer, performer and audio producer of Armenian descent. Her music is often characterized as postminimalist.Woodard, Josef"A Bird’s Eye, a Wonderer’s E ...

; and ''Provenance'', which forms the basis of her album of that name. Her production, ''Elsewhere: a CelloOpera,'' which premiered at

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-arts center in Brooklyn, New York City. It hosts progressive and avant-garde performances, with theater, dance, music, opera, film programming across multiple nearby venues. BAM was chartered in 18 ...

in 2012, is an imaginative retelling of the Biblical legend of Lot's wife, created with theater director Robert Woodruff, with original text by

Erin Cressida Wilson Erin Cressida Wilson (born February 12, 1964) is an American playwright, screenwriter, professor, and author. Wilson is known for the 2002 film ''Secretary'', which she adapted from a Mary Gaitskill short story. It won her the Independent Spirit ...

and music by

Missy Mazzoli Missy Mazzoli (born October 27, 1980) is an American composer and pianist who has received critical acclaim for her chamber, orchestral and operatic work. In 2018 she became one of the first two women to receive a commission from the Metropolitan ...

. ''All Vows'', a show that reimagines rock classics such as Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" and Nirvana's "Lithium", premiered at the San Francisco's

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is a multi-disciplinary Contemporary art, contemporary arts center in San Francisco, California, United States. Located in Yerba Buena Gardens, YBCA features visual art, performance, and film/video that cel ...

in 2014 and was presented at BAM Next Wave Festival in 2015. In July 2017, she performed a reimagining of

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

's album " Blackstar", arranged for her by the composer

Evan Ziporyn Evan Ziporyn (b. Chicago, Illinois, December 14, 1959) is an American composer of post-minimalist music with a cross-cultural orientation, drawing equally from classical music, avant-garde, various world music traditions, and jazz. Ziporyn h ...

with the

Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra The Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia (; ) is a symphony orchestra based in Barcelona, Spain. Since April 1999, the Orchestra has had its headquarters at L'Auditori. Prior to that, from its foundation to 1998, the o ...

and Ziporyn conducting. In August 2018, Beiser premiered

cello concerto "Maya" at

The Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

in London's

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

. Maya Beiser's discography includes fourteen solo albums, multiple studio recordings and film music collaborations. She has collaborated with film composer

James Newton Howard James Newton Howard (born June 9, 1951) is an American film composer, orchestrator and music producer. He has scored over 100 films and is the recipient of a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, and nine nominations for Academy Awards. His film scores ...

and is the featured soloist on several films' soundtracks including '' The Happening'', ''

The Great Debaters ''The Great Debaters'' is a 2007 American historical drama film directed by Denzel Washington from a screenplay by Robert Eisele and based on a 1997 article for '' American Legacy'' by Tony Scherman. The film follows the trials and tribulations o ...

'', ''

Blood Diamond Blood diamonds (also called conflict diamonds, brown diamonds, hot diamonds, or red diamonds) are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading army's war efforts, terrorism, or a warlord's activity. The term is u ...

'', ''

Snow White and the Huntsman ''Snow White & the Huntsman'' is a 2012 American fantasy film, fantasy action film, action-adventure film, adventure film based on the German fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. Produced by Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, Roth Films ...

'' and ''

After Earth ''After Earth'' is a 2013 American science fiction apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic action film, action-adventure film co-produced and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who co-wrote the script with Gary Whitta. The film w ...

''. Beiser was one of the founding members of the

Bang on a Can All Stars The Bang on a Can All-Stars is an amplified ensemble that was formed in 1992 by parent organization Bang on a Can. Called "a flexible and expert sextet" by ''The New York Times'',

Projects

* THE DAY * Spinning * Films For Cello * Uncovered * All Vows * Elsewhere: A CelloOpera * Provenance * World To Come

Discography

* 1994 ''The Cello Music of Gubaidulina and Ustvolskaya'' (KOCH International Classics) * 1999 ''Oblivión'' (KOCH International Classics) * 2000 ''Caught by Sky with Wire'' ''The Maya Beiser / Steven Schick Project'' (oodiscs inc) * 2000 ''Kinship'' (KOCH International Classics) * 2003 ''World to Come'' (KOCH International Classics) * 2007 ''Almost Human'' (KOCH International Classics) * 2010 ''Provenance'' (Innova) * 2012 ''Time Loops'' with Michael Harrison (

Cantaloupe Music Cantaloupe Music is a Brooklyn-based record label that produces and releases contemporary classical music and other forms of avant-garde music. The label was founded in 2001 by Michael Gordon, David Lang, Julia Wolfe, and Kenny Savelson. Gordon ...

21086) * 2014 ''Uncovered'' (Innova) * 2016 ''TranceClassical'' (Innova) * 2018 ''The Day'', with

Kate Valk Kate Valk (born March 6, 1957) is a founding member of The Wooster Group, a collective of artists who make new work for the theater. Kate Valk began her work with the group in 1979 while she was a student at New York University's Tisch School of t ...

(spoken voice) * 2019 ''delugEON'' * 2020
Bowie Cello Symphonic: Blackstar
' * 202
Maya Beiser x Philip Glass
* 202
Maya Beiser: InfInIte Bach
https://flaunt.com/post/maya-beiser-infinite-bach Maya Beiser , Infinite Bach Chapter 1 - Cello Suite No 4 in E♭ major, Prélude] * 2024
Maya Beiser x Terry Riley: In C
' (Islandia Music Records)

Other contributions

* 1995 ''Industry'', (Sony Classical) album by Bang on a Can All Stars, Bang On a Can All Stars, as solo electric cellist * 1996 ''CHEATING. LYING. STEALING.'' (Sony Classical) * 1998 ''BRIAN ENO: MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS'' * 2002 ''BANG ON A CAN CLASSICS'' (Cantaloupe) * 2005 ''You Are'' (Variations)/'' Cello Counterpoint'' (Nonesuch Records), album by

, as solo cellist * 202
The Brandenburg Project

Filmography

Beiser contributed to the soundtrack of several films: * ''

'' (2006), directed by

Edward Zwick Edward M. Zwick (born October 8, 1952) is an American filmmaker. He has worked primarily in the comedy drama and historical drama, epic historical film genres and was awarded an Academy Awards, Academy Award, as well as a British Academy Film Aw ...

* ''

'' (2007), directed by

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...

* '' The Happening'' (2008), directed by

M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received vario ...

* ''

'' (2012), directed by

Rupert Sanders Rupert Miles Sanders (born 16 March 1971) is an English film director. Sanders directed the films ''Snow White and the Huntsman'' (2012), ''Ghost in the Shell'' (2017), and ''The Crow'' (2024). He also directed the pilot episode of the Apple TV+ ...

* ''

'' (2013), directed by M. Night Shyamalan, soundtrack by

* ''

La grande bellezza ''The Great Beauty'' ( ) is a 2013 art drama film co-written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Filming took place in Rome starting on 9 August 2012. It premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it was screened in competition for the Palme ...

'' (2013), directed by

Paolo Sorrentino Paolo Sorrentino (; ; born 31 May 1970) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and writer. He is considered one of the most prominent filmmakers of Italian cinema working today. He is known for visually striking and complex dramas and has of ...

2-CD original soundtrack album, Indigo Film IND009

References

External links

Official website
*
Maya Beiser on NPR Tiny Desk Concert
*
bbc.com culture story: making classical sexy and smart

San Francisco Chronicle Review: Maya Beiser Cellist Casts A Rockin Spell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beiser, Maya Living people American people of Argentine-Jewish descent American people of French-Jewish descent American people of Israeli descent American women classical cellists American classical cellists Jewish American classical musicians 21st-century American women musicians 1963 births 21st-century American Jews Yale School of Music alumni 21st-century American cellists