Marie-Luise Leihenseder-Ewald was born in Jena (Thuringia) and began her musical training at the local music and art school with the cello teacher and musicologist Prof Dr Michael Berg.  In the 1980s, she completed her cello studies at the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar in the class of Prof Brunhard Böhme. 

A participant and prizewinner in national and international competitions and a scholarship holder of the Mendelssohn Foundation, she received further valuable artistic and pedagogical impulses through courses with M. Gendron, L. Harrell, I. Monighetti, S. Palm, E. Rautio, F. Rados and G. Mantel, among others.

Her love of teaching became apparent very early on. After several years as an assistant and teaching assistant, she was appointed cello professor in Weimar in 1993. In addition to her intensive work as a teacher and adjudicator, the cellist is particularly fond of chamber music. In the 1990s, she gave many concerts in Europe and the USA with the PianOVo trio. She was also a member of the international ensemble Ars ad libitum Graz for many years, as well as a cellist in the Emga Duo, Trio en route and Trio Parlando.