Dr. Maya Shankar

When I was six years old, my mom went up to our attic and brought down my grandmother's violin that she had brought with her all the way from India when she immigrated here in the 70s.

When I was six years old, my mom went up to our attic and brought down my grandmother's violin that she had brought with her all the way from India when she immigrated here in the 70s.

And I think my mom had just meant to show

And I think my mom had just meant to show

me the instrument I don't think she expected that I would be instantly captivated by it but I was and I really took to it and my mom says that she never had to ask me to practice it was just one of those genuine passions that I had as a child and I can't say that for many of the other things I was asked to do in school so she knew that it was very rare and then when I was nine years old I

me the instrument I don't think she expected that I would be instantly captivated by it but I was and I really took to it and my mom says that she never had to ask me to practice it was just one of those genuine passions that I had as a child and I can't say that for many of the other things I was asked to do in school so she knew that it was very rare and then when I was nine years old I

things started to get a little bit more serious, and I was starting to realize, hey, maybe this violin thing could be my life, right?

things started to get a little bit more serious, and I was starting to realize, hey, maybe this violin thing could be my life, right?

Like, maybe this could be a career.

Like, maybe this could be a career.

And so I ended up auditioning for the Juilliard School of Music in New York, and I was accepted into their pre-college program, and that began weekly trips every Saturday from Connecticut to New York, in which my mom and I would get up at 4.30 in the

And so I ended up auditioning for the Juilliard School of Music in New York, and I was accepted into their pre-college program, and that began weekly trips every Saturday from Connecticut to New York, in which my mom and I would get up at 4.30 in the

go to New York on the train, and I'd spend about 10 hours in the day studying the violin.

go to New York on the train, and I'd spend about 10 hours in the day studying the violin.

And then, as you can imagine, like with the intensity of that spirit, things started to get even more serious.

And then, as you can imagine, like with the intensity of that spirit, things started to get even more serious.

And then in high school, Itzhak Perlman, who's the greatest violinist of our time, invited me to be his private violin student.

And then in high school, Itzhak Perlman, who's the greatest violinist of our time, invited me to be his private violin student.

And that was an incredible vote of confidence for me because I think, like so many, when we're in competitive environments, it can be very intimidating.

And that was an incredible vote of confidence for me because I think, like so many, when we're in competitive environments, it can be very intimidating.