musicians & staff.

Teagan Faran is a Chicago-based violinist from the Pacific Northwest. A graduate of Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music (BM Violin Performance, 2018), she studied with Mauricio Fuks and James Buswell while also working with members of the Pacifica, Formosa, and Emerson String Quartets. Teagan has attended the Taos School of Music, Music Academy of the West, and Aspen Music Festival, and has participated in masterclasses with Miriam Fried, Gunter Pichler, Ruggiero Ricci, and Jaime Laredo. In addition to performing with Palaver Strings, she performs with contemporary music ensemble Eighth Blackbird, teaches at Northwestern University, and maintains an active private studio.

Maya grew up in midcoast Maine and received her BM in Violin Performance from Boston University in 2015 under the direction of Bayla Keyes. She has studied and performed at Kronberg Academy, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Orford Music Academy, Manchester Music Festival, and Kneisel Hall. A co-founder of Palaver Strings, Maya is certified to teach Suzuki Violin and Music Learning Theory. She is also a faculty member at Ithaca College.

Maïthéna Girault grew up in Paris, France, where she began violin studies at age 5 at the Conservatoire Municipal and was later admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP). She received her Master of Music in violin performance from Boston University in 2015, studying with Bayla Keyes and Dan Stepner. She has attended festival and programs at the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in England, Orford Music Academy in Canada, and the Manchester Music Festival in Vermont. Beyond Palaver, Maïthéna teaches and performs throughout New England, and is on faculty at the University of New England in Biddeford.

Kiyoshi Hayashi holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Miriam Fried, and a Master of Music in Performance from Boston University, where he studied with Bayla Keyes. A graduate of the Boston Public Schools, Kiyoshi was introduced to music through Boston's El Sistema-inspired program, Project STEP. He has since performed with ensembles across New England and toured internationally with Palaver Strings. He is committed to music education that reflects the communities he grew up in.

Grant Houston, a native of Orlando, FL, is a violinist and educator based in Portland, Maine. He studied at the University of North Florida (BM, 2015) and Boston University (MM, 2017) under Bayla Keyes. Grant has performed with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and throughout New England. As co-artistic director of Palaver, he serves as one of the board liaisons and is deeply invested in the ensemble's organizational development and sustainability.

Briallen "Bree" Fotheringham grew up in Salt Lake City and holds a BM from the University of Utah and an MM from Boston University, where she studied with Bayla Keyes. She has performed across New England and serves as one of Palaver's board liaisons, helping bridge the ensemble's artistic leadership with its governance structure. She is passionate about the collaborative model that defines Palaver's identity and decision-making.

Brianna holds a B.M. in violin performance from Boston University, where she studied with Bayla Keyes. She attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Aspen Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, and Kinhaven Music School. She has performed at The Kennedy Center, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, and Avery Fisher Hall. She taught at El Sistema Somerville and Bridge Boston Charter School, and is certified in Early Childhood Music Learning Theory and the Suzuki Method. Currently on faculty at the Portland Conservatory of Music.

Lysander Jaffe is a violist originally from New York City. He holds a BM from the Eastman School of Music and an MM from Boston University, where he studied with Michelle LaCourse. Active in chamber music across New England, he has performed with Palaver Strings since 2019 and serves as the ensemble's communications lead. Lysander is committed to expanding how classical music reaches audiences beyond traditional concert halls.

Elizabeth grew up in midcoast Maine, surrounded by folk music and chamber music from a young age. She studied viola performance at the UNC School of the Arts with Sheila Browne, and at BU College of Fine Arts with Karen Ritscher. Teaching and playing with Palaver over the years, she continually reexamines the ways she approaches music and her role as a musician and educator. In addition to her work with Palaver, she maintains a private studio and teaches at the Portland Conservatory of Music.

Matthew Smith grew up in Tallahassee, FL, and received degrees from the University of Florida (BM, 2015) and Boston University (MM, 2017), where he studied with Rhonda Rider. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Weill Recital Hall. Matthew is deeply committed to ensemble culture and co-ownership, and serves as Palaver's Ensemble Engagement Coordinator — responsible for the internal community practices that keep the ensemble's collaborative model healthy and generative.

Kamyron Williams is a cellist and educator from New York City. He received his BM from Manhattan School of Music and his MM from Boston University, studying with Rhonda Rider. Kamyron serves as one of Palaver's Anti-Racism Coordinators, leading the ensemble's internal equity and accountability work. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and venues across New England, and is passionate about creating institutions that are genuinely representative of the communities they serve.

Nate Martin is Palaver's bassist and co-artistic director. Originally from the Midwest, he received his performance training at the New England Conservatory and has been active in chamber music and new music in New England since 2014. He serves as one of Palaver's Anti-Racism Coordinators, working alongside Kamyron Williams to advance the ensemble's equity commitments in ways that are honest, ongoing, and structurally grounded — not merely performative.