Maria Hansen

Maria Hansen is the Executive Director of ELIA, Europe’s leading multidisciplinary network for higher arts education, representing nearly 300 institutions committed to international collaboration, peer learning, and arts advocacy. With over 30 years of leadership in the cultural sector across continents and disciplines, Maria began her career in performing arts in Germany and, aer completing an MBA, became Executive Director of the opera company in Ottawa, Canada.In 1995, she moved to the Netherlands, managing the Netherlands Bach Society and leading international tours. From 2007, she served as Managing Director of the Municipal Theatre and Concert Hall in Haarlem, focusing on sustainable cultural management and community engagement. Since joining ELIA in 2017, she has strengthened the network’s policy voice in Europe and championed higher arts education.Globally, she has been active in the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA), serving on its Board and Executive Committee. In 2020, she received ISPA’s Patrick Hayes Award for transformative leadership, having earlier run the Berlin Marathon (2012) to raise funds for the organisation.Maria also sits on the University Council of Nuremberg University of Music and chairs the Hogenbijl Foundation, which awards prizes in classical music and filmmaking in the Netherlands. Her previous board roles include the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, youth ensemble Oorkaan, and the vocal group Frommermann. A strong advocate for ecological sustainability in the arts, she played a key role in launching the SHIFT eco-certification for European cultural networks.Outside of work, she enjoys bootcamp training in the dunes near her home in Haarlem, hosting dinners, and practicing meditation.