The daughter of a Greek immigrant father and a Scots-Irish/French-Canadian mother, Maria grew up in Ontario where her family had businesses and lived in 10 different communities.

She pursued a degree in vocal performance at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music. Her postgraduate studies took her to Florence, Zurich, Salzburg, as well as to New York University and the Juilliard School. Her classical training in the Western tradition gave her the confidence to embark on the next step of her musical journey: composition. Blending her classical training with popular culture and her interest in other countries-plus her love of theatre and storytelling-she developed a unique sound that entices and enchants.

Her penchant for bringing together different worlds has led to collaborations with artists such as Irish-Canadian tenor John McDermott whose appreciation for her early work led to Sweet Sister Mary, a duet with Maria released on both Mr. McDermott's Love is a Voyage and Maria's debut album Four Corners, No Walls.

With an “attitude of gratitude,” Maria places great importance on giving back to the community. Evident in both her professional and volunteer activities, she has done much to promote the arts through her work with such organizations as Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestras Canada and Roy Thomson Hall. Maria’s ongoing commitment to improving the quality of life for others in need-particularly women and children-has led her to serve as Senior Director of Philanthropic Services for the Canadian Women’s Foundation, before starting her own Philanthropy consultancy, Opus Philanthropic Strategies.

Maria has also trained for and completed 2 Marathons (26.2 mile race). Completing a marathon was a tremendous personal victory, inspired by the power of setting goals and celebrating accomplishments.

Maria lives in charming downtown Dundas, Ontario with her husband, Dr. Harald Stöver, a professor of Chemistry at McMaster University.