María Martínez Ayerza was born in Cuenca, Spain, where she started her musical training. In 2000 she moved to The Netherlands to continue her studies with Paul Leenhouts at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (MMus 2006). She also studied Musicology at the University of Amsterdam (MA cum laude 2009). María was awarded several prizes at international music competitions, amongst them the First Prize and the Walter Bergmann Prize at the Moeck/SRP Solo Recorder Competition in 2005.



In 2001 María joined The Royal Wind Music, a unique ensemble founded by Paul Leenhouts in 1997, of which she was a core member until 2024. María is also co-founder of ÆroDynamic (2004-2016), a trio of voice and two recorders specialised in the combination of medieval and contemporary music, and of recorder quintet Seldom Sene. With these ensembles or as a freelance recorder player, María performs internationally, has released fifteen CDs to date (Lindoro, Brilliant Classics and PAN Classics) and appears on radio and television. 

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María is one of the recorder professors at the Royal College of Music in London, focusing on Renaissance consort and solo and chamber music up to 1650. Besides, she teaches courses and masterclasses - so far in the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Austria, the UK and Australia. Given her commitment to bring music to new audiences, María gave over 1000 short performances for young children at nurseries, community centres and primary schools of Amsterdam in cooperation with the Memorable Moments Foundation between 2006-2016.

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María is chief editor of Blokfluitist, the only specialised recorder magazine published in Dutch. She was co-initiator, and until 2024 member of the management of the Open Recorder Days Amsterdam, a biennial international festival and competition that will be held for the seventh time in July 2026.