Maria Friesenhausen (23 March 1932 – 31 July 2020^[1]) was a German classical soprano who appeared in Europe. She is known for recordings of Baroque music on record and with broadcasters. She was also a professor of voice at the University of Dortmund.

Friesenhausen was born the daughter of a church musician in Altendorf, now Burgaltendorf, a part of Essen.^{[2][failed verification]} She studied at the Folkwangschule in Essen,^[3] with Hilde Wesselmann, among others. She finished with a degree in both voice teaching and operatic singing in 1957. She focused on concert singing and recording, especially of works by Johann Sebastian Bach and other Baroque composers.^[2][4] She toured in Europe, for example to Geneva, Helsinki, Paris and Vienna.^[2]

She was the soprano soloist in several Bach cantatas in the series of the broadcaster NDR conducted by Max Thurn with the NDR Chor,^[4] such as in 1960 Jesu, der du meine Seele, BWV 78, alongside Ursula Zollenkopf, Johannes Feyerabend and Erich Wenk.^[5] She recorded Dieterich Buxtehude's Lauda Sion Salvatorem, BuxWV 68, with Helmut Kahlhöfer.^[6] She was the soloist in a recording of Bach's Christmas Oratorio conducted by Hans Grischkat, alongside Hildegard Laurich, Peter Wetzler and Bruce Abel in 1972.^[7]

In Baroque opera, she recorded in 1973 the part of an elegant lady in Lully's Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, with Siegmund Nimsgern in the title role; Gustav Leonhardt conducted La Petite Bande and members of the Tölzer Knabenchor.^[8] She also recorded Andreas Romberg's Das Lied von der Glocke.^[2] She performed in church concerts, such as in 1977 in Haydn's Die Schöpfung at St. Patrokli in Soest.^[9]

Friesenhausen worked as a professor of voice^[3] at the University of Dortmund.^[10] In 2001 she trained the soloists, including Georg Poplutz^[10] and Karin Lindemann in the title roles, for a performance of Handel's Acis und Galatea with the university choir, in a set with costumes designed by students.^[11]