Since its formation in 1990, the Maia Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Iowa, has established itself nationally as an ensemble of innovation and versatility. Praised by critics for its "sparkling musical intelligence," (The Baltimore Sun) the Quartet has appeared in major concert halls throughout the U.S. and abroad, including New York's Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall and the 92nd Street Y, Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center, Beijing's Forbidden City Concert Hall and the Aspen Music Festival's Harris Hall. Recent collaborations with leading chamber musicians include performances with Joel Krosnick, Andre-Michel Schub, Cynthia Phelps and Daniel Avshalomov. The Quartet's commitment to the work of living composers has led to premieres of compositions by Pierre Jalbert, Dan Coleman and Vivian Fung.

The Maia Quartet’s 2010-11 season includes appearances on the Sheldon Friends of Chamber Music series in Lincoln, NE, the Quad Cities Visiting Artist Series, the City University of New York Chamber Music Series, and at the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Past season highlights included performances for the Westchester Chamber Music Society, the Austin Chamber Music Center, the Zimmerli Art Museum, the Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing, China and at the Up-Beat Festival in Hokkaido, Japan.

Recognized for its creative approach to programming, the Maia Quartet has spearheaded numerous innovative projects. In 2009, to mark the 200th year since Haydn's death, the Quartet presented Haydn Slam, a five-day marathon event during which all of Haydn's eighty-three string quartets were performed by the Quartet and various other professional and amateur ensembles. This project was featured in Chamber Music America’s Chamber Music magazine and was also included on National Public Radio's Performance Today.

Other examples of the Maia Quartet’s innovative residency work have included a Chamber Music America Extended Residency Grant (to bring chamber music of Scandinavia to rural Iowa communities with strong Scandinavian roots) and Music, Healthcare and Well Being, a collaborative project with the University of Iowa's Department of Music Therapy, and the University of Iowa's Holden Cancer Center.

Widely sought after for its inspiring work with young people, the Maia Quartet has worked with numerous organizations including Chamber Music Northwest, Young Audiences, Inc. and the Midori Foundation to bring its passion for music making to children of all ages. The 2010-11 season marks the second consecutive year that the Quartet has received an Iowa City Community School District Foundation Excellence Fund Grant.

In addition, the Maia Quartet's commitment to reaching new adult audiences has led to collaborations with the Aspen Music Festival and with musicologist Robert Winter as well a the Friends of Chamber Music series in Kansas City with Robert Kapilow. The Quartet receives frequent invitations to develop short-term residencies that target a wide range of audiences, and their innovative work in this area has inspired return engagements with such organizations as Chamber Music Northwest, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Austin Chamber Music Center.

The Maia Quartet is the Faculty Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Previous faculty positions and summer residencies include the Peabody Conservatory of Music, the Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing, China, Interlochen Arts Camp, the Austin Chamber Music Festival, and the Thurnauer Chamber Music Camp.

The Maia Quartet was formed at the Cleveland Institute of Music and subsequently received a fellowship to attend the Peabody Conservatory and work with Earl Carlyss. They were the recipients of the Arnhold String Quartet Fellowship at the Juilliard School and have held summer fellowships at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and at the Aspen Center for Advanced Quartet Studies, where they worked with the American, Cleveland, Emerson, and Tokyo String Quartets.

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