Mariel Mayz

Renowned artist and piano virtuoso Mariel Mayz graduated from Hunter College with a dual Master’s degree in piano performance and composition in 2018. A New York native, Mayz debuted as a pianist with the Rockland Symphony Orchestra when she was only 16 years old. As a composer, her 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 debut album Leo Brouwer: Cuban Sketches for Piano was released in 2022. A sought-after composer, pianist, educator, and administrator, Mayz’s original works have been described as inventive, colorful, compelling, and well-crafted.  

Mayz returned to Hunter College as an Adjunct Professor of Music Theory and lecturer for the Arts Management & Leadership Certificate. From 2019 through 2021 she served as the Program Coordinator of the Hunter Mellon Arts Fellowship—a pivotal program for diversity and inclusion within the field of arts management and leadership. In addition to performing in venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall, and Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute, she is also the Co-Founder and Associate Director of the Porto Pianofest—an annual international piano festival in Porto, Portugal.