Maya Fridman

Maya Fridman is an External PhD candidate at Leiden University's Academy of Creative and Performing Arts, part of the Graduate School for Humanities. She is conducting research on Ritualization of concert practice in Russian post-minimalist music under the supervision of Professor Marcel Cobussen.

Born in 1989 in Moscow, Russia, Dr. Fridman studied at the Moscow State College of Music named after Alfred Schnittke where she was recognized as a prodigy, and later at the Conservatory of Amsterdam where she completed her master's degree with highest honors (Cum Laude) in 2016. Her academic journey combines rigorous scholarly research with exceptional artistic practice.

Dr. Fridman's research explores how concert rituals shape audience experience and musical interpretation in Russian post-minimalist music. As a performer specializing in contemporary classical music, she bridges performance practice with musicological inquiry. Her work examines ceremonial aspects of contemporary classical music performance, focusing particularly on emotional impact and innovative programming that presents both historical works and new compositions by contemporary composers.

Her discography reflects her research interests, featuring critically acclaimed albums including 'Red Velvet' (which received the Luister 10 award) and 'Canti d'inizio e fine' (selected for Dutch newspaper Volkskrant's '40 Best Albums of 2019'). Her recording of Prokofiev's 'The Fiery Angel' arrangement was praised as 'the best chamber music album I've heard in 20 years' by The Absolute Sound magazine.

• First Prize Winner in the International Festival of Slavic Music
• Luister 10 award for Red Velvet album
• Dutch Classical Talent Award (2019)
• Nominated for Grachtenfestival Prijs (2018)

Dr. Fridman has held prestigious residencies including musician-in-residence with Gaudeamus (2018/2019) and Artist in Residence at TivoliVredenburg for season 2020/2021. She regularly performs in renowned European venues such as the Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, and TivoliVredenburg. She has also organized benefit concerts for Ukraine, demonstrating her engagement with current events through artistic practice. Her future work promises to further illuminate ritual dimensions of contemporary classical music performance within the Russian post-minimalist tradition.