Actor and singer Maria Ylipää is one of Finland’s most prolific performers, known for her numerous roles in musical theatre, film and television. She is probably best known for the lead role in Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ hit musical Kristina från Duvemåla, which ran for some 300 performances in Helsinki, Gothenburg and Stockholm. Among numerous musical theatre roles, the most recent have been in the musicals Hiljaiset sillat (Francesca), Next to Normal (Diana) and West Side Story (Anita). Maria received the Ensi linja musical theatre award in 2012.

Recent TV roles include Tuula Aaltonen in the series Aallonmurtaja, for which Maria received a Golden Venla (Best Actress) in 2018, as well as Ulla Lundelin in the series Koskinen and Harriet in the series Luottomies.

In the music field, Maria Ylipää is known as a versatile performer who is equally at home with jazz ensembles and big bands as with symphony orchestras. Maria’s first record under her own name was the album Omani uni with Emma Salokoski in 2010. In 2013 she released her first solo album Onerva, and in 2022 Piazzolla! was released, an album featuring the tango of Astor Piazzolla. In spring 2024, the collaboration between Emma Salokoski and Maria Ylipää continued, and they released a joint album called Kauniita piikkejä.

Maria Ylipää received the Alfred Kordelin Foundation Cultural Prize in 2019.