Influenced by improvisation in contemporary art, her work extends outside of the sound world to straddle varied disciplines of interest.
[2] The sound installations and live turntable performances of Maria Chavez focus on the paradox of time and the present moment, with many influences stemming from improvisation in contemporary art.
[2] In 2019 the Macro label released an album by Chavez based on treatments of the empty locked grooves of a vinyl record by Stefan Goldmann.
[8] She has also collaborated with fellow turntablists Otomo Yoshihide, dieb13, and eRikm as part of the Wien Modern festival of contemporary music in Vienna.
[8] Maria Chavez encountered Pauline Oliveros in Houston, their shared home city, as part of a group of young improvisers aged 17-26.