Maria holds both a B.Mus and an MA from the Cork School of Music (CSM). She has been a prizewinner in numerous competitions including Feis Ceoil, Feis Maitiu and the CSM Concerto and Chamber Music Competition and has been invited to perform as a soloist with the CSMSO. Maria played with the National Symphony Orchestra as part of their mentoring scheme and also as a deputy player.
Along with fellow members of the Chiral Quartet, Maria was awarded the 2014 CSM Directors Prize. The quartet were subsequently named Ensemble in Residence in the CSM. They have been winners of the CSM RTE Vanbrugh Quartet Chamber Music Competition, the KBC Great Music in Irish Houses Residency competition and the Music in Drumcliffe Strings Attached Competition and have studied with both the Vogler Quartet and the Vanbrugh Quartet.

Maria has performed in numerous venues and festivals at home and abroad including the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, Killaloe Music Festival, the Music in Drumcliffe festival and in the RDS Rising Stars recital series, the Jenneusses Musicales Festival and Guildhall, London. Maria is also a traditional fiddle player and has been playing fiddle since the age of 8.

She has played in numerous competitions in the Fleadh Cheoil over the years and has received medals at both local and national competitions. As well as preforming, Maria teaches cello and fiddle in the Kerry School of Music and in Cork.