Maria Gajraj brings together the many voices of the organ : the contemplative world of sacred music, the grandeur and colour of the Romantic tradition, the spare intensity of minimalism, and the adventurous soundscape of contemporary music. Her programme moves freely across centuries, revealing unexpected connections between music rooted in ancient traditions and works that stretch the organ into new sonic territory.
In Maria's hands, the organ becomes both familiar and surprising : capable of profound stillness, luminous textures, rhythmic energy, and vast orchestral colour. Her playing invites us to hear an instrument with centuries of history not as a relic of the past, but as a vibrant and expressive voice today.
Maria Gajraj is an award-winning Canadian organist, sound creator, researcher, and writer whose performances bring together the richness of the organ's historical tradition with an adventurous approach to contemporary music. She has performed internationally at venues including Salle Bourgie and Maison Symphonique in Montreal, Orgelpark in Amsterdam, and Blackburn Cathedral in the United Kingdom, as well as in concert series in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
In 2025, Maria won first prize in the Royal Canadian College of Organists' National Organ Competition, along with the Douglas Haas Prize and the Jan Overduin Audience Prize. She completed her Doctorate of Music at McGill University in 2026, where her research explored the music of twentieth-century Caribbean organist and composer Edward Margetson.
Maria's concert programmes reflect a particular interest in expanding the organ repertoire and bringing lesser-known music to audiences. She is drawn to music that crosses boundaries of period and style, placing the great works of the organ repertoire alongside contemporary and experimental voices. Her musical interests also extend to early music: she is the programming director of the medieval ensemble COMTESSA, performing on the organetto, and her debut album, "exhale.", explores minimalism, experimentalism, improvisation, and contemporary approaches to the organ.
This autumn marks the beginning of a new chapter in Maria's career as she takes up the position of Music Director at St Philip's Anglican Church in Vancouver, bringing together her work as a performer, programmer, church musician, and advocate for the continuing vitality of the organ.