Maria-Margarita Kourtparasidou was born in 1981 in Greece. Supported by musical parents in Thessaloniki, Maria-Margarita Kourtparasidou began playing the piano at the age of six, before later taking up percussion. She studied at the Thessaloniki State Conservatoire under Prof. Vassiliadis till 2000. In January 2005, she completed her Performance Diploma at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold (Germany) under Prof. Peter Prommel and in February 2006 she finished the Chamber Music Diploma at the same school. In May 2007 she completed the Master Degree at the Conservatorium of Amsterdam with specialisation in chamber music.
In 1999 she wins the Panhellenic Percussion Competition and also she was offered a grant to study at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. In Germany she studies with a “Gesellschaft der Freunde und Foerderer of the Hochschule für Musik Detmold E.V.†Scholarship and in Amsterdam she wins a subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Culture. Recently she managed to come through the semi-finals of the Gaudeamus Competition for Interpreters. Maria-Margarita Kourtparasidou has gained work experience at the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (Germany), Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra, New Music Ensemble, Asko Ensemble and many others.
She is Timpani Player at the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, member of the Nederlands Wind Ensemble, DissonART Ensemble and has founded the Red Chicken Soup Duo with Guido De Flaviis (saxophone). She is also teacher in the Thessaloniki New Conservatory. She has toured in Germany, The Netherlands, England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Luxemburg, Bosnia&Herzegovina, Portugal, Greece and USA.
