Icelandic cellist María Qing Sigríðardóttir (b. 2004) is a sought-after musician who regularly performs across Europe, appearing in almost seventy concerts last year

María is particularly passionate about chamber music and collaborative exploration of diverse musical styles. She also places great emphasis on music education and outreach, which she pursues primarily as a grant recipient of the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now.

Following her victory at the Icelandic Young Soloist Competition in 2024, María made her solo debut with the Iceland 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. She is also a Third Prize laureate of the North International Music Competition (Sweden 2022).

María regularly draws inspiration for her artistic work from masterclasses with internationally renowned musicians. From 2022 to 2023, she held a place in the Polstjärnepriset Nordic Edition funding program run by the Young Musicians Academy in Sweden. She was also a participant in the International Cello Academy Rutesheim (Germany, 2023) and the Astona International Summer Music Academy (Switzerland, 2021). In 2025 she held an internship (50% position) with the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Mainz, Germany.

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 studying with Prof. Conradin Brotbek at the HMDK Stuttgart. In 2025, her studies were supported by a scholarship from the Rudolf von Tobel Studienstiftung (Switzerland).

María Qing Sigríðardóttir plays a François Caussin cello from around 1860, made possible through the generous support of a private benefactor, with additional support from the Gesellschaft der Freunde HMDK Stuttgart.