B.F.A. in Theatre - Acting (University of British Columbia)

Royal Conservatory of Music: ARCT in Voice Performance

Royal Conservatory of Music: ARCT Piano Performance
 Royal Conservatory of Music: Violin 8 - In Progress

Ava Maria Safai is a multidisciplinary Canadian artist specializing in acting, music, writing, and directing. She is a Dean’s List graduate from UBC’s BFA in Acting program and holds ARCT diplomas in Voice and Piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She is currently completing her ARCT in Violin. In addition to her work as a performer, Ava Maria is a writer and composer; she wrote and produced the original musical Girl Next Door.

Her stage credits include Regan in King Lear, Ophelia in Hamlet, Maddie Forbes in I Killed Maddie Forbes, VERA in INHUMAN/E, Iris in The New Margo, Alicia in Barefoot in Nightgown by Candlelight, and Female Drummer in a commercial for Google TV.

Following the placement of her debut single “Finding Hope” on Lifetime’s Dance Moms, Ava Maria released three albums and five singles, co-wrote music for GrandMuse Pictures Ltd.'s Unmasked (which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival), and—supported by the Canada Council for the Arts—co-wrote and produced the soundtrack for The Girl Next Door. She has garnered over one million views on YouTube, been featured in Maclean’s magazine, and was voted “Favourite Local Celebrity” by The North Shore News in 2018.

Her awards include the Gold Medal in Music Theatre at the Vancouver Kiwanis Festival Provincial Excellence Class, the Don S. Williams Grant, the Evelyn Jasiulko Harden Scholarship in Theatre, the Rise Up Award, and the Katie Drysdale Music Theatre Scholarship. She is also a two-time Leo Award winner for her work on the film ZIP.

In film, Ava Maria wrote, directed, and starred in the feature Fornigher. She is the founder of The Harlequin Theatre Society, a non-profit organization that has produced a roving original theatre piece, an immersive feature film (later adapted into a sold-out stage production for the Stand Festival), and I Killed Maddie Forbes, a seven-episode limited series in which she served as lead actor, director, executive producer, and head writer.

Ava Maria has over a decade of teaching experience. Her students consistently achieve high scores in Royal Conservatory of Music exams and win top placements at music and drama festivals across British Columbia. She is fluent in English, French, and Farsi, allowing her to connect with students from diverse backgrounds. Passionate about nurturing well-rounded performers, Ava is committed to helping each student realize their full artistic potential.

Learn more at avamariasafai.com.

Ava is currently teaching on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.