Baptist was born into a musical family and began playing piano at the age of six, just a little later she got into music theory and composition as well. She studied classical music, then jazz piano and composition at the Academy of Music "Hanns Eisler" Berlin
and at the New School in New York City.

Maria Baptist is a pianist & composer (she has achieved success in numerous international competitions) who is performing solo as well as with her Jazz Trio (CD-Release „Spring in Berlin“ 06/2010), with a string quartet (CD-Release 04/2011), various Bigbands
(e.g. Reykjavik Bigband, hr Bigband in Frankfurt, NDR Bigband in Hamburg) and Symphony Orchestras (e.g. Jenaer Philharmonie, Vogtland Philharmonie).

In 2011 Maria will lead the BuJazzO, Germany´s Youth Jazz Orchestra (the institution for the most talented young jazz students). In August 2010 Maria conducts the Reykjavik Bigband at the International Jazzfestival in Iceland. In June 2010 the Maria Baptist TRIO releases their new album „Spring in Berlin" which is a coproduction with the radio station rbb. In 2009, Maria’s Trio together
with the Vogtland Philharmony, gave a concert which achieved tremendous critical acclaim. It was a premiere of Maria’s symphonic composition in 4 movements. As a world premiere Maria has recorded Arnold Schönberg’s chamber piece “Pierrot Lunaire” with
Jazz Improvisations on CD. She also conducted the Jenaer Philharmony and a jazz bigband in a concert "jazz meets classic" with a premiere of her composition "Nights scenes" in 2005.

IHer international guest appearances have included concerts in New York, Paris, Athens, Patras, Reykjavik, Roma, Copenhagen, Sardinia, Budapest, Havanna, Spain and South Africa. Her compositions and performances can be heard on numerous CD releases and she has been featured on various radio and television broadcasts across Europe.

Maria Schneider (composer, arranger New York) about Maria Baptist: "Her music is a gift, infused with all the creativity, power, emotion, generosity and warmth that she exudes in life."

Apart from her engagements as a performer and composer, Maria has been a professor at the academy of music "Hanns Eisler"
Berlin since 2001. There she is teaching composition, arranging, improvisation and music theory..
In addition Maria is in great demand for teaching at international workshops. She is also a juror of different competitions and
awards - as an example she was a jury member of the yearly jazz grant of the Berlin Senate  in 2010.

Workshop at the Film & Television Academy | Potsdam | 2010
Workshop with the Big Band at the Jazz Institut in Berlin |  2009
Bigband concert at the Academy of Music & Theatre Munich |  2009
Workshop during a festival in Patras in the context of:”European capital of culture“ | Greece | 2006
Conducting the Youth Bigband Jena | 2005
Workshop at the International Chamber Music Festival | Stellenbosch/South Africa | 2005
Workshop in Frankfurt am Main | 2002, 2006
Conducting the Bigband at the Academy of Music & Theatre Hamburg | 2002
Workshop with the Bigband of the Academy of Music "Hanns Eisler" Berlin | 2000
Workshop at the Franz-Liszt Music Academy | Budapest/Hungary | 1998
Conducting the Youth Bigband of Brandenburg | 1998

International Composers Competition of the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra | Copenhagen
Thad Jones Composers Competition Award | 2000
The German Radio Station “rbb” coproduces various CD Productions | 1999, 2003, 2005, 2009
Conductors Competition of the German Radio Station “NDR” | Award | 1998
Scholarship of the Berlin Senate | commission of a Bigband Suite | 1998
Bigband Competition of the German Radio Station „HR“ | Composers Award | Frankfurt/Main | 1996
Jazz Young Star Competition | Leipzig | Winner | 1996
Commission of a Bigband piece of the Berlin Senate | 1996
Bigband Competition of the German Radio Station „HR“ | Composers Award | Frankfurt/Main | 1995
Artistic Grant of the Berlin Senate for Marias studies in New York | 1995,1994
International Piano Competition for Improvisation | Vilnius/Lithuania | Award | 1992

Reykjavik, Iceland | Conduction of the Reykjavik Big Band at the international Jazz Festival | 2010, 2008
Hong Kong, China | 2009
Monaco | 2008
Patras, Greece | International Jazz Festival | 2006
Stellenbosh/Cape Town, South Africa | International Chamber Music Festival | 2005
Sardinia, Italy | International Jazzfestival |2004
Berlin | Concert for Michael Jackson | 2002
Copenhagen, Denmark | Danish Radio Big Band | 2001
Ibiza, Spain | Jazzclub | 2000
Budapest, Hungary | International Jazzfestival | 1999
Havanna, Cuba | International Jazz Festival | 1999
Paris, France | Lionel Jazzclub | 1998
Roma, Italy | International Jazz Festival | 1995
New York, US | Jazz Quartet with special guest Rory Sturat | 1995