Get to know the artists behind Magic & Mayhem!

Maria Didur is the collaborative pianist and musical coach for Magic & Mayhem. Buy your tickets today to see Maria's performance on Oct 27th!

Tell us about your musical background.

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I was born in Russia and moved to the U.S. in 1999. I started going to music school at the age of 5, later attending Coronado School of the Arts, Manhattan School of Music and Hunter College. I fell in love with collaborative piano and worked at San Diego State University for the past 8 years. I moved back to NY in August and currently work at Manhattan School for Children, teaching K-8.

How did you start working with singers?

My first collaborative experience was in high school and I was hooked. I played the Flute Concertino by Chaminade and instantly felt like I was a part of something bigger. It was so exciting to share a stage with another musician and to play off of each other. I worked with singers in grad school and got a job at SDSU playing for a voice studio, later adding choir to the list. I enjoy collaborative piano in all shapes and sizes, instrumental or vocal.

Who is your favorite composer to play?

To this day I can say that Concerto for Two Pianos and part I of the Rite of Spring by Stravinsky go down as my top favorite pieces to perform.

If you weren’t an artist, what would your dream job be?

I would probably want to be a sky-diving instructor.

Tell us something unusual about your hometown.

My hometown, Ozyorsk, was the birth place of Soviet nuclear weapons program after WWII.

What’s on your schedule after Magic and Mayhem?

After Magic and Mayhem, I am preparing my choir to perform at two different concerts. My younger students will be performing at Carnegie Hall in May and I look forward to finding more opportunities to play good music with talented people.