maria’s Music
maria’s Music
Maria Kaushansky’s music is a vibrant reflection of her dual life as a jazz pianist and ballet accompanist. Blending technical mastery with deep emotion, her compositions and performances move fluidly between genres—capturing the spontaneity of jazz and the elegance of classical ballet. Whether she’s leading a set at a New York jazz club or shaping the energy in a dance studio, Maria’s artistry creates an atmosphere that is both captivating and uplifting. Her latest albums invite listeners into her world: a unique fusion of improvisation, lyricism, and rhythmic nuance, inspired by her diverse musical journey.
Debut Album: northbound to finch
This debut jazz album by Maria Kaushansky is a celebration of creative exploration and musical possibility. Unlike genres where songs are played the same way each time, jazz thrives on spontaneity—every performance is a new conversation. For Maria, each composition is just the starting point; the real magic unfolds as her trio reimagines arrangements, tries different grooves, and improvises in the moment. The album opens with “Northbound to Finch,” a metaphorical return home and the first piece Maria wrote during the uncertainty of the COVID lockdowns. Many tracks were composed over the past three years and have evolved through live performances, reflecting Maria’s growth as a composer. Each track invites listeners into a soundscape that’s never quite the same twice, yet always uniquely her own.
northbound to finch
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The album opens with this piece, a metaphorical return home that Maria first composed during the COVID lockdowns in 2020.
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“Windchill -30” captures the harsh, isolating winters of suburban Toronto, where frigid winds and freezing temperatures are a way of life.
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A nostalgic tribute to Maria’s childhood neighborhood mall in Toronto—a place filled with memories that’s now set to be replaced by new development.
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“Last Call at the Green Room” is an energetic tribute to late nights at a beloved downtown Toronto bar, capturing the excitement of student life and the dash to catch the last train home.
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“Tangreen Court” reflects Maria’s memories of her family’s first home in Toronto after immigrating as a child—a time filled with new beginnings, cultures, and experiences in a vibrant, multicultural city.
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“512 St Clair W” is a nostalgic nod to the streetcar rides Maria took as a university student to her first ballet accompanist job—a journey that sparked her ongoing love for playing for dancers.
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“Prelude” is an improvised piano solo that draws on Maria’s classical roots, serving as a musical introduction to the following track and reflecting the influence of her early training.
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“Newtonbrook” is a musical homage to the public high school Maria attended, capturing memories from her formative teenage years.
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“Four One Six” is a tribute to Maria’s Toronto roots, named after the city’s iconic area code and the number she called home.
Maria’s experience playing for ballet dancers spans nearly 20 years. Ballet accompanying is a highly specialized skill, requiring music that precisely matches each exercise in quality, time signature, and length. In this album, Maria has taken the original compositions she composed for Northbound to Finch, and adapted them for use in a ballet class. This is Maria’s first album for ballet, and she is particularly thrilled to have recorded it with her trio, bassist Paul Gill and drummer Anthony Pinciotti.
Ballet Album
