Ukrainian-Canadian pianist Mariya Orlenko is the recipient of the Grand Prize at the
Canadian Music Competition, and has won top accolades at the Virginia Waring International
Piano Competition and the OSM Manulife Competition. Most recently, she was chosen as a
finalist at the 2024 Orford Music Award. She was also one of the winners of The Hnatyshyn
Foundation Ukraine-Heritage, Spirit and Future Grant. Her performances have garnered acclaim
at both the Arthur Rubinstein International Youth Piano Competition in Beijing and the Aarhus
International Piano Competition.

Mariya’s musical journey is marked by orchestral collaborations across North America,
including Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, Virginia Waring Festival Orchestra, Gulf Coast
Symphony Orchestra, North York Concert Orchestra, Oakville Chamber Orchestra, and Kindred
Spirits Orchestra. She was the recipient of the Royal Conservatory Provincial and National Gold
Medals in 2013 and 2017.

Mariya’s recent concert collaborations include the Canadian Opera Company Free
Concert Series, and the Beethoven Sestercentennial Extravaganza with Concerts@100. She was
the keyboardist in the Royal Conservatory Orchestra during the 2017-2020 seasons. Mariya is
additionally a proud recipient of The Hnatyshyn Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship.
Mariya is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance at the
University of Toronto, where she received her Masters of Music in Piano Performance under the
tutelage of Lydia Wong. She completed her Bachelor of Music at the Glenn Gould School,
studying with John Perry and David Louie and was the recipient of The Ihnatowycz Emerging
Artist Scholarship.

Mariya has performed for world-renowned artists including Yoheved Kaplinsky, Robert
McDonald, Leon Fleisher, Dang Tai Sun, John O’Conor, Sara Davis Buechner, Andre LaPlante,
Idith Zvi, Ian Fountain, and Ori Shihor. She is the recent founder of The Efficient Musician Inc.,
a company that aims to promote music education and help young artists achieve their full
professional potential.