Violinist Shalini Vijayan was born and raised in Davis, California, and studied in New York as a scholarship student at the Manhattan School of Music where she received her B.M. and M.M. degrees under the tutelage of Ariana Bronne and Lucie Robert.

An advocate for modern music, Vijayan was a founding member and is Principal Second Violin of New York based Absolute Ensemble and has recorded several albums with them, including the Grammy nominated Absolution in 2001. As a part of Absolute, she has performed throughout the United States and Europe, most recently in London's Barbican Hall, and has premiered works by John Zorn, Daniel Schnyder, Ezequiel Vinao, and Charles Coleman, among others.

As a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida from 1998-2001, Vijayan served as concertmaster for Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Reinbert de Leeuw and Oliver Knussen. As well as for the world premiere performance and recording of Steven Mackey's Tuck and Roll for RCA records in 2000. An avid chamber musician, she regularly performs with the Grammy Award-winning Southwest Chamber Music, and as one half of the violin-percussion duo 61/4. She has appeared the scores of A Beautiful Mind, The Incredibles, King Kong and Ratatouille. Vijayan has been on the faculty of the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop in Arcata, California since 2003.