Maria Linnemann was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1947 and grew up in England. It was there that she developed an early passion for English, Scottish, and Irish folk music.

She studied conducting, piano, and violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1966 to 1970. She credits her guitar skills to the guitarist, violist, and artist Martin Nicolai (1904–1993), who was also an excellent composer.

She has lived in Germany since 1971, working as a freelance musician and educator. She also taught in China for five years. In addition, she composes musicals and music for puppet theater. Alongside her concert performances—which feature primarily her own compositions—she conducts workshops and regularly serves as a jury member for the *Jugend musiziert* competition. In July 2026, she was a member of the three-person international jury for the 7th Miguel Llobet International Composition Competition for Classical Guitar in Barcelona.