Maria Martinez Ayerza

MMus, MA

Recorder professor specialising in medieval and renaissance music

María Martínez Ayerza was born in Cuenca, Spain, where she started her musical training. She graduated with distinction at the Conservatory of Seville in 2000 and moved to The Netherlands to continue her studies with Paul Leenhouts at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She also studied Musicology at the University of Amsterdam, receiving her Master of Arts degree with distinction.

In 2001 María joined The Royal Wind Music, where she is a member of the artistic management since 2010, and in 2010 she co-founded recorder quintet Seldom Sene. She has also worked with ÆroDynamic (voice and two recorders), trio Audi Alteram (recorder, organ and historical bassoons) and as a freelance recorder player with ensembles such as La Gande Chappelle, Ensemble Odyssee and Musica Temprana. She has recorded fifteen CDs to date, for Lindoro, Brilliant Classics and PAN Classics, and performed all over Europe and in the United States and Mexico.

Besides teaching at the RCM, María is a guest teacher for recorder consort and history of the recorder at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She has also taught courses and masterclasses in The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, England, Germany and Australia.

Given her commitment to bring music to new audiences, María offered over 700 short performances for young children at nurseries, community centres and primary schools in cooperation with the Memorable Moments Foundation, Amsterdam between 2006-2016. She is the editor-in-chief of Blokfluitist, the only specialised recorder magazine published in Dutch, and co-initiator of the Open Recorder Days Amsterdam, a biennial four-day international festival and competition that will be held for the sixth time in 2023.

Find out more about María. Visit website

Faculties / departments: Historical Performance