Mariela Shaker Biography

Mariela Shaker, a native of Aleppo, Syria, began playing the violin in 1999 after enrolling in the Arabic Institute of Music. She earned a distinction from the institution in 2004. Mariela was a frequent performer in Syria, appearing in several festivals and concerts, including a solo violin recital at the Directory of Culture and the St. Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Cathedral in 2008. While in Syria, Mariela earned several awards and was asked to compete in the Dubai Arabian Competition and perform with the Emirate Youth Symphony Orchestra. Mariela taught violin at the Arabic Institute of Music for five years before auditioning in London in 2011 and receiving an invitation to continue her studies at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music. Mariela survived the Syrian crisis in 2013 after earning a full-tuition scholarship to attend Monmouth College and pursue her second Bachelor's degree in Music Performance. Her first Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration was earned at Aleppo University. Mariela won an award for excellence in music performance before graduating from Monmouth College. She was the concertmaster of the Monmouth College Chamber Orchestra from 2013 to 2015. Mariela was also given a full-tuition academic scholarship to DePaul University to pursue her Master's in Music Performance, which she completed in 2017. Mariela has performed solo with the Mesopotamian Symphony Orchestra in California Theater as a concert violinist. On June 20, 2015, she presented her first performance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in honor of UNHCR's World Refugee Day. President Barack Obama designated Mariela a Champion of Change for World Refugees, and she was recognized in the White House in 2015. In the same year, she performed for members of the United States Congress. In 2016, I was invited to perform in London by Cate Blanchett, and I performed for the first Scottish Minister at the Beyond Borders International Festival in Scotland. Mariela was invited by the International Rescue Committee to sing in front of Jordan's Queen Rania in November 2016. Mariela was named a UNHCR High Profile Supporter in 2017 and the first-ever Anne Frank Promisekeeper Award in 2018. Mariela has recently performed and spoken at the White House, Brooking Institute, Pentagon Conference, United Nations, Arab American Institute, Emirates Airline Literature Festival, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Asfari and Saied Foundations, Harvard University, MIT, Points of Light, International Rescue Committee, Aspen Ideas Festival, Lincoln Center, UNHCR, CARE, King's College Chapel (Cambridge), The Barbican Center (London), Beyond Boarder Intercultural Exchange, Harvard University, George Washington University, and others. The Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Buzz Feed, Woman's Day, and many more publications have featured her. Mariela has been selected to teach violin at Monmouth College. Her approach is to help her pupils find their own voice and expression while also encouraging them to reach their full potential.

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