Maria Goldschmidt was born in Halle/Saale. She studied the flute under Hertha Mergl at the Hanns Eisler University of Music in Berlin. She continued her studies in Switzerland with Aurèle Nicolet and later with Peter Lukas Graf, in whose class at the Basel Music Academy she earned her soloist diploma. She received various prizes and awards at international music competitions. This was followed by a varied concert career both as a soloist and as a sought-after partner for chamber ensembles. Her interests range from early to contemporary music; she also trained on the traverso under Linde Brunmayr-Tutz. Subsequently, she founded the "Orchestra la Scintilla," which is dedicated to the practice of historical performance. Maria Goldschmidt was principal flutist at the Zurich Opera House for over 30 years. She held a professorship for flute at the Zurich University of the Arts until the summer of 2023.