Maria Krykov was born in Helsinki to a Finnish-Russian family. When she enrolled in music school at the age of six, she was asked which instrument she wanted to choose. Without hesitation, she pointed to the largest instrument in the room—the double bass. This marked the beginning of her musical journey with her first teacher, Lasse Lagercrantz. In 2023, Krykov graduated from the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, where she studied under Matthew McDonald.
Krykov has performed as a soloist with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Chamber Orchestra, and the Baden-Baden and Trier Philharmonic Orchestras. As an orchestral musician, she has appeared with several top orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Netherlands. Since 2022, she has served as the principal double bassist of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin.
Chamber music has played a significant role in Krykov’s career. She has performed at events such as the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and Guy Braunstein’s Muzi Chamber Music Festival in Israel.
Krykov has achieved success in numerous international competitions. In addition, in 2018 she received the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation Award for exceptional artistic talent, and in 2020 the Finnish Double Bass Club named her Finnish Bassist of the Year.