Maria Gajraj

Maria Gajraj is a Montreal-based organist and doctoral candidate at McGill University in the studio of Dr. Isabelle Demers. Her research focuses on 20th-century Caribbean organ repertoire. Gajraj co-founded the Sapphonix Collective, which presents multidisciplinary concerts promoting women, queer, and racialized composers. Sapphonix events, such as Salon Nights and Sonic Immersion Nights, frequently sell out and have been featured on CBC radio.

Gajraj has performed internationally at venues like Salle Bourgie, Maison Symphonique, and in series such as Pro Organo and Bergen Orgelsommer. She has collaborated with ensembles such as the Montreal Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Montreal Wind Symphony. A recipient of the Godfrey Hewitt Scholarship (2022) and other awards, her doctoral research is funded by the FRQ (Fonds de Recherche du Québec).

Passionate about underrepresented composers, Gajraj’s programs highlight women and composers of color. As Deirdre Piper wrote in Pipelines, Gajraj’s “spirited, clean, and colorful performance lent real and meaningful significance” to this music. By creating engaging concert programs, and by featuring the organ in innovating and multidisciplinary contexts, Gajraj strives to break stereotypes, and to make the organ more accessible to everyone.