Maria Finkelmeier is an award-winning composer, director, percussionist, and tech-artist who the Boston Globe referred to as a “one-woman dynamo.” She has built an internationally recognized practice that moves fluidly between concert halls, public spaces, and immersive digital environments. NPR’s All Things Considered captures her essence: “To call her a virtuoso marimba player, percussionist and artist is just not enough—she is basically an entire art scene herself.”

Finkelmeier creates large-scale, multi-sensory experiences that turn architecture into instruments and audiences into active participants. From reimagining Fenway Park as a percussive playground to activating the Roebling Bridge as a monumental sound and light sculpture, she operates at the forefront of a new performance language rooted in both precision and play. Recent works, including Former Self and Chameleon, merge virtuosic performance with generative visuals and sonified biodata, expanding the boundaries of new music and tech-driven art.

Equally at home on global stages and experimental sites, Finkelmeier has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian, and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, and collaborated with ensembles including Silkroad and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Her practice is propelled by major awards and fellowships, with support from the Knight Foundation, the Boston Foundation, and the Brother Thomas Fellowship, among others. Her work consistently draws national attention, with features across major media and broadcast platforms, amplifying a voice that is both artistically rigorous and widely accessible.

An Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music and a Yamaha Performing Artist, Finkelmeier holds degrees from The Ohio State University and the Eastman School of Music. Whether composing for the stage, directing immersive environments, or activating public space, her mission remains constant: to blend sound, light, and feeling into powerful, shared human experiences.