Maria Bayley began her studies at the Gregorian Institute of Lisbon, studying harpsichord with Cristiano Holtz. She graduated in harpsichord at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, studying with Jacques Ogg. She took her masters in mediaeval and renaissance instruments at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Corina Marti and in singing (specialising in early music) at the Conservatoire of Tilburg. She won the first prize in the Carlos Seixas harpsichord competition (2005), in the National Harpsichord Competition (2008) and the JIMA prize (2012). With the ensemble Heptachordum she won first place in the baroque ensemble category in the Young Musicians’ Prize (2012). She collaborates frequently with the Bach Koor Holland and La Academia de los Nocturnos, Palma Choralis and Cantores Sancti Gregorii. She is vice-director of the Ars Hispana association, dedicated to the research into and publication of Spanish music. She founded the group Ars Lusitana in 2011, dedicated to the performance principally of Portuguese music. She is also a founder member of the Ensemble 258, dedicated to the performance of baroque music. She earned her masters in early music theory at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, having completed the courses for this programme at the Higher School of Music of Lisbon, where she studied with Ana Mafalda Castro.
