Maria has performed and collaborated with The Australian Art Orchestra, Anthony Pateras, Jim Denley, Amos Roach, Ensemble Offspring, Lucas Abela, Krakatau, Andrea Keller, Dave Brown, Jenny Barnes, Carolyn Connors, Scott Tinkler, James Rushford, Julia Reidy, Ernie Althoff, Tenzin Choegyal, and The Splinter Orchestra. Maria’s debut EP ‘Mondo Flockard’ was released in 2016 through Perth label Tonelist, and was listed on Avant Music News under Best Albums of the Year. In 2017, she composed and performed a percussion and electronics score for Ben Christensen’s 1922 film ‘Haxan’ at Dark Mofo festival in Hobart, Tasmania.
Performing solo, Maria has opened for Claire Rousay, MY DISCO, Clever Austin (Hiatus Kaiyote), Chris Corsano (Bjork, Thurston Moore, Evan Parker), Oren Ambarchi, and Alex Zhang Hungtai (Dirty Beaches). Her solo LP ‘Opening‘ was released through Nice Music in January 2019. Maria was a recipient of the Art Music Fund in 2020 and released her second album ‘For Leolanda’ via Room4o in 2022. In 2021 she was a finalist for the Freedman Jazz Fellowship. In 2022 she began playing drums in Stephanie Lake’s dance performance ‘MANIFESTO‘, a work for nine dancers and nine drummers, composed by Robin Fox. Her latest album, ‘A spark, a reminder‘, was released via Longform Editions in 2023. She was the winner of ‘Best Avant-Garde/Experimental Musician’ at the Music Victoria Awards in 2023.
Maria is currently the drummer for bands/artists Jaala, The Cloud Maker, Panghalina, Ajak Kwai, and Jonnine (HTRK), and has previously drummed for Mildlife, Jess Ribeiro, Francis Plagne, Evelyn Morris, Doroth, On Diamond, and Horatio Luna. She has also worked as a session drummer for Sui Zhen, Mess Esque, Gena Rose Bruce, Jess Cornelius, Mess Esque, Harry Angus, Chitra, Max Sharam, Ryan Downey, Grace Turner, Low Talk, Taylah Carroll, Darren Hanlen, Jade Imagine, and The General Assembly. Maria has had performances presented by organisations such as Liquid Architecture, MIUC, Omniversal Hum, MESS, send+receive festival (CAN), Nya Perspektiv Festival (SWE) and Public Records (NYC). Throughout a decade of diverse experience, she has emerged as one of Australia’s finest improvisers, bringing her unique yet versatile percussive sense to countless musical situations.
Maria completed a Bachelor of Music Performance at The Victorian College of the Arts in 2013 and is currently undertaking a Master of Arts (Research Training) at Monash University.