The Russian mezzo-soprano Maria Kataeva studied voice, piano, and choral conducting. She was first a member of the opera studio at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein before becoming an ensemble member of the house.

Guest engagements have taken her as Carmen, Rosina, Dorabella, Angelina, Octavian, Composer, Sesto, Nicklausse, and Olga to renowned stages such as the Bavarian State Opera, the Hamburg State Opera, the Semperoper Dresden, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, the Bolshoi Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre, Geneva, the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, and Japan.