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Icelandic cellist María Qing Sigríðardóttir is a sought-after musician who regularly performs across Europe, appearing in almost seventy concerts last year.
Following her victory at the Icelandic Young Soloist Competition in 2024 (Ungir einleikarar), María made her solo debut with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Petri Sakari in a nationally broadcast performance and has since appeared as a soloist with several orchestras throughout Iceland. In 2022, she was awarded third prize at the North International Music Competition in Sweden.
María has a particular passion for chamber music. In the summer of 2026, she performed in different concert series troughout iceland with pianist Ásta Dóra Finnsdóttir. In 2023, she co-founded the piano trio Trio JAM, which has been praised for its “perfect balance and cohesive interplay that seems neither forced nor contrived” (Sindelfinger Zeitung/Böblinger Zeitung). The trio combines classical music with influences from jazz, tango, popular music and contemporary music.
María regularly draws inspiration from masterclasses with internationally renowned musicians. In 2022–2023, she was selected to participate in the Polstjärnepriset Nordic Edition scholarship programme, organised by the Young Musicians Academy in Sweden. She has also participated in the International Cello Academy Rutesheim in Germany (2023) and the Astona International Summer Music Academy in Switzerland (2021). In 2025 she held an internship (50% position) with the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz, Germany and from 2019 to 2022 she was a member of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Orchestra.
María also places great emphasis on music education and outreach, which she pursues primarily as a grant recipient of the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now. Through the initiative, she regularly performs in nursing homes, kindergartens and other public institutions in Stuttgart.
María began her cello studies at the age of five with Ina Krauß-Pfleghaar in Germany and later studied for over ten years at Tónskóli Sigursveins, graduating with honors under the guidance of Gunnar Kvaran. Previous mentors also include Örnólfur Kristjánsson and Ólöf Sigursveinsdóttir. She is currently in the final year of her bachelor's degree, studying with Professor Conradin Brotbek at the Stuttgart State University of Music and Performing Arts (HMDK Stuttgart). Her studies have been supported through scholarship from of the Rudolf von Tobel Studienstiftung (Switzerland) and the Gesellschaft der Freunde der HMDK Stuttgart (Germany).
María Qing Sigríðardóttir plays a François Caussin cello from around 1860.
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2026 | Haydn Cello Concerto in D major | with Sinfóníuhljómsveit Áhugamanna, Orchestra & Oliver Kentish, conductor | Iceland
2025 | Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations | with Youth Orchestra & Guðni Franzson, conductor | Iceland
2024 | Kachaturian Cello Concerto | with Icelandic Symphony Orchestra & Petri Sakari, conductor | Iceland
2022 | Bach Suite in G major | Polstjärnepriset Fall Festival | Sweden
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2026 | “Zwischen Zeit und Sehensucht” | New Classical Music Festival Sindelfingen | with Trio JAM | Germany
2026 | “Yfir hafið og heim” | Hannesarholt | with Ásta Dóra Finnsdóttir, pianist | Iceland
2026 | “Samtal í g moll” | Stofutónleikaröð Gljúfrasteins, concert series | with Ásta Dóra Finnsdóttir, pianist | Iceland
2026 | “Hver á sér fegra föðurland” | Sumartónleikaröð Hallgrímskirkju í Saurbæ, concert series | with Ásta Dóra Finnsdóttir, pianist | Iceland
2025 | Schubert String Quintet | LMN Stuttgart - Benefizkonzert | Germany
2025 | Mendelssohn Octett & Beethoven Septett | Collegium Musicum Pommersfelden | Germany
2024 | “Transformation of Hearts” | New Classical Music Festival Sindelfingen | with Trio JAM | Germany
2023 | Mendelssohn Octett | Lange Nacht der Musik, Klassik Sommerfestival Ettal | Germany
2022 | Rezital | Töframáttur tónlistar concert series | with Matthias Halvorsen, pianist | Iceland
2019- | Member of various performing Chamer music groups
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2026 | Extra player | Stuttgarter Kammerorchester | Germany
2026 | Memeber | Festivalorchester, Staufer Festspiele Göppingen | Germany
2026 | Extra player | Rutesheimer Kammerorchester | Germany
2025 | Internship | Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz | Germany
2025 | Collegium Musicum Sommer Orchestra Academy Pommersfelden | Germany
2025 & 2026 | Extra player | Landes Blasorchester Baden Würtemberg | Germany
2025 | Extra player | Bläserphilharmonie Baden Würtemberg | Germany
2025 | Extra player | Stuttgarter Salontiger | Germany
2024 | Member | Neue Musik Werkstatt HMDK Stuttgart | Germany
2024- | Member | HMDK Stuttgart Symphony and Opera Orchester | Germany
2023 | One time | Göteborg Symphony Orchestra | Concert | Sweden
2019-2022 | Member | Icelandic Symphony Orchestra Youth department | Iceland
2019 | Member | Viking Barrok | Sweden & Iceland
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2025 | Ein Walzertraum, Movie | Arte TV | with Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz | Germany
2022 | Bál, Song | for Óviti | Iceland
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2026 | Moderation & co worker organisation | International Domnick Cello Competition for New Music | Germany
2026 | Co worker organisation | International Competition for art song, Hugo Wolf Akademie | Germany
2025 | Moderation | Aufs Podium, Concert series Stuttgarter Rathaus | Germany
2025- | Yehudi Menuhin - Live Music Now Stuttgart | Germany
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2025 | Substitute teacher | One week | Tónskóli Sigursveins | Iceland
2025 | Tutor | HMDK Stuttgart | Germany
2024- | Privat teacher
