Maria Krykov

Maria Krykov was born in Helsinki to a Finnish-Russian family. At the age of six, she was asked to pick an instrument at the East Helsinki Music School and without any hesitation pointed to the biggest one there: the double bass. It was a moment that determined her musical career and her first teacher, Lasse Lagercrantz. She is currently continuing her studies at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin with Matthew McDonald and working as sub-principal double bass in the Helsinki Philharmonic.

She has been a prizewinner at several competitions, including the International Instrumental Competition in Markneukirchen in 2018, the Leoš Janáček International Competition in Brno in 2017, the International J. M. Sperger Competition for Double Bass in 2016 and the First International Double Bass Competition in Ankara in 2015, as well as being a semi-finalist at the ARD Competition in 2016. In 2019 she shared first prize at the International Bottesini Competition in Italy.

Maria Krykov has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Trier Philharmonic Orchestra and the Seinäjoki City Orchestra. As an orchestral musician, she has performed in several major orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, as well as being a guest principal with orchestras including the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.

She has appeared at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival since 2012 and in the summer of 2019 performed at Guy Braunstein’s ClasClas Festival in Spain and at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

In 2018 Maria Krykov was awarded a prize by the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation for her outstanding achievements and in 2020 was named Finnish bassist of the year by the Finnish Bass Society.