1992 : Winner of the International Jazz Piano Competition in Lithuania

1995 & 1996 : Big Band Composer's Competition Awards  in Frankfurt/Main

1996 : Winner of the Jazz Competition for Young Musicians in Leipzig ; "The Star of the Festival..."

1994/95/96 & 1998: grands and commissions by the "Senat of Berlin"

Maria grew up in a musical family and studied classical and jazz piano at the "Hanns Eisler" Music College in Berlin. After finishing her studies in Germany she moved to New York where she studied at the world famous „New School" in Manhattan. Her teachers were Maria Schneider, Hal Galper, Kenny Werner, Joanne Brackeen, Richie Beirach and Reggie Workman. Maria has performed in many famous jazz clubs. Notably, The Blue Note, Smalls and The Knitting Factory. Miss Baptist has formed her own trio and has performed all over Europe in jazz clubs and on big festival stages.

1996: Festival "Jazz Across the Border" at Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin(ORB radio broadcast)

1996: 20^th Jazz Festival in Leipzig at the Opera House (MDR radio broadcast)

1997 : concert with her band at the Berlin Festival „Hofkonzerte im Podewil"

1998 : concerts in Paris at the Lionel Hampton jazz club with jazz vocalist Carol Cass and quartet: John Betsch on drums, Wayne Dockery on bass

1998 : tour with the Maria Baptist Trio in Germany

1998 : festival "Jazz Units" in Berlin ( SFB broadcast)

1997/1998 : TV shows on ‘Deutsche Welle' with her jazz quartet: "Boulevard Deutschland" ;broadcast in 20 different countries

Beside successful performances with her trio Maria has done concerts and tours with many other artists for instance: Rolf Kühn, the RIAS-BigBand, Pascal von Wroblewsky, Carol Cass, John Betch, Wayne Dockery, Günther Fischer, Ernst - Ludwig Petrowsky, Uschi Brüning, Carlos Bica, Tim Horner and Chris Berger.

She can also be found teaching at the „Hanns Eisler" Music College, leading workshops with the „LandesjugendBigBand" of Brandenburg and conducting several other big bands. In 1997 she was the Musical Director of the Musical „Space Dream" in Berlin.