Biography

Marcela Pavia (IT/ARG) is a composer and electroacoustic performer based in Milan. Her catalogue spans chamber and orchestral music, electroacoustic and acousmatic works, multimedia, music theatre and music for young audiences. Her research focuses on resonance as a dimension of timbre and on space as a compositional parameter, the subject of her doctoral research and of her theoretical framework Spatial Grammar.

Performances and festivals

Her works have been commissioned and performed in Europe, North and South America, Australia and China, by ensembles and orchestras including I Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra, Dedalo Ensemble, Broad Band Ensemble, Noise Ensemble, Ned Ensemble, New Made Ensemble, Icarus Ensemble, Duo Alterno, Taller Sonoro, Cube Ensemble (Chicago), Duo 46 (USA) and Trio Flair (Switzerland).

Festivals and venues include the Spatial Audio Gathering (University of Leeds), Festival Aperto (Reggio Emilia), Metropolis Electroacoustic Festival, Kairos Festival (2019), Camino Contro Corrente Festival, Centro de Experimentación del Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), Sulle Ali del Novecento, Spazio Musica (Cagliari), Piano City Milano, Osmose Festival (Belgium), Angelica Festival, Ars Electronica, Forum Wallis (Switzerland), Gare du Nord (Basel), the Semaine de la Musique Électroacoustique (Université Lille 3), North and South Consonance (New York), the New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes, Festival Bridges 2 (Luxembourg), CIM 2016, the Rosario Contemporary Music Symposium and the International Computer Music Conference (Belfast 2008, Perth 2013, Boston 2025).

She was selected by the ISCM jury to represent Italy and Argentina at the World New Music Days (Zagreb 2011, Košice–Bratislava–Vienna 2013, Wrocław 2014).

Awards

Prize, 7th Vienna International Music Competition, 2026
First Prize, Musik Academy Composition Competition, Vienna, 2020
Music Theatre for Kids, Contemporary Music Center and New Made Ensemble, Milan, 2017
Piano Composition Competition, World Piano Teachers Association, Novi Sad, 2016
European Erasmus Electronic Music Competition, Université Paris 8, 2012
Sonom – Sound Art International Festival, Monterrey, 2012
International Composition Competition “Terra di Puglia”, 2012
Trinac Prize, Encuentros Foundation, Buenos Aires, 2011
Miriam Gideon Prize, Search for New Music, International Alliance for Women in Music (USA), 2010
International Composition Competition Claxica, 2009
Italian Percussion Society, 2007

Residencies and research visits

Artist residencies: Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (USA); Gästeatelier Krone, Aarau (Switzerland); Italian Composers Forum, Contemporary Music Center, Milan
Doctoral research visits: IEM – Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics, Graz; ZKM, Karlsruhe; forthcoming at Université Paris 8

Education

Currently PhD researcher in Electroacoustic Composition, Conservatorio “U. Giordano”, Foggia
Master in Electronic Music Composition, Conservatorio “G. Verdi”, Milan
Master in Sound Technologies and Composition, Conservatorio “A. Boito” and University of Parma
Master in Composition, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (Argentina)
IRCAM Workshop, Venice Biennale, 2011
SaMPL – Sound and Music Processing Lab, Wave Field Synthesis, Conservatorio “C. Pollini”, Padua, 2014
Composition for instruments and live electronics, Icarus Ensemble
Internship at GRAME, Lyon
Postgraduate studies in composition at Accademia Lorenzo Perosi (Biella) and Civica Scuola di Musica (Milan); advanced courses at Accademia Chigiana, Siena (1991–1992)
Masterclasses and seminars with Francisco Kröpfl, Dante Grela, Franco Donatoni, György Ligeti, Ennio Morricone, Henri Pousseur and Javier Torres Maldonado

Research and conferences

She has presented her work at the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC 2025), EuroMAC 11 (ESMUC, Barcelona, 2026), ENIM (University of Aveiro, 2022; University of Évora, 2025), the GATM Conferences on Music Analysis and Theory (2020, 2022, 2023, 2025), the Convergence Seminar (Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts, 2022), the conference Interactive Compositional Spaces and Microtonalities: A Tribute to Giacinto Scelsi (Fondazione Levi, SIMC, Micromega Arte e Cultura, Fondazione Civici Musei, 2020), Il Suono Occulto (Parma, 2014), the I International SATMUS Congress (Madrid, 2023), Sibelius Academy (Helsinki), the World Piano Teachers Association International Conference (2016) and Universidad Nacional de las Artes (Buenos Aires). In 2026 she will present at Sound and Music Computing (Zagreb) and I3DA (Venice).

Publications

Scores: Edizioni Curci (Nayla, De Puna y Pampa, Suite Tupac Amaru), Edizioni Bèrben (Malambo, Fideal, Pain is not linear), Editions Delatour (Dos epígrafes para el general Lavalle, Shalott), Edizioni Sconfinarte (Per un addio, Attraversamenti, Permanenze, Los senderos que se bifurcan, Imaginary Beings, The Banshee, The Banshee’s keen, Solen, Umar).

Writings:

“Tombeau de Messiaen ovvero del dualismo armonia/timbro”, Nuove Musiche 3 (2017): 83-117. DOI: 10.12871/97888333922335
“Toward a Spatial Grammar for Immersive Music: Space as a Structural Parameter Across Audio Systems”, I3DA 2026 (Venice). Zenodo (2026). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23022125
“Cirrus Light: Ambiguity and Clarity in the Music of Jonathan Harvey”, presented at the XXI GATM Conference, Conservatorio “G. Martucci”, Salerno (2024); Zenodo (2026). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18827931
“Caves in the Skies: A Sound Cartography of Exoplanets”, in Research Outputs of the PhD in Electroacoustic Composition, Sonic Arts, and Intermedia Applications, Conservatorio di Musica “Umberto Giordano” (2025). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17537630
“La estructura de la música atonal: dos enfoques”, CODEXXI, Barcelona (1998)
“El análisis musical”, Conceptos, Universidad del Museo Social Argentino (1989)

Discography

Marcela Pavia – Max E. Keller, portrait album, Neos (Germany)
Ondine, Pain is not linear – CD Waves, Bèrben, New Tone Contemporary Music Series
Fideal, Malambo – CD Portraits Vol. I, Bèrben
Shalott – Masterworks of the New Era Vol. 2, Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra
Piedra de Sol – Nuova Musica per Orchestra Vol. I, Archivi del XXI Secolo
Niebla – Climate Action Music
The Banshee’s keen – Perchitarrasola, Pilfink Records (Finland)
The Banshee’s keen – Argentina Music Collection Vol. III
Assonanze – Sunrise, RMN Music
Aleph – Chitarra e altre corde, Acusmonium Audior
Temple Bell – Piano-Haiku, Archivi del XXI Secolo
Dietro gli specchi d’acqua e aria – New Music Demo 2013, Archivi del XXI Secolo
Taiel – Sonom 2012
Pollerita colorada, Vidala – Verdemar, Beat Records

Teaching

She has taught at the Conservatorio “G. Verdi” (Milan), the Civic Music Institutes of Crema and Varese, the Conservatorio “Manuel de Falla” (Buenos Aires), the Universidad del Museo Social Argentino, the Universidad del Salvador and the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, and was Faculty Member of the Composition Department of the Soundscape Festival (2010–2022).

Juries

Seeyousound – Frequencies Live Contest, Teatro Massimo, Turin, 2026
S3DAPC – Student 3D Ambisonic Production Competition, IEM, University of Graz, 2025
Composition Competition, World Piano Teachers Association, 2018–2022
Composition Contest for Choir, Festival Nuovi Orizzonti Sonori, Porretta Terme, 2016

Affiliations

Member of SIMC-Italia (Italian Section of the ISCM), Agon Acustica Informatica Musica, AIMI – Associazione di Informatica Musicale Italiana, GATM – Gruppo di Analisi e Teoria Musicale, FADEC – Foro Argentino de Compositoras and UNACOM.

Marcela Pavia (IT/ARG) è compositrice e performer elettroacustica e vive a Milano. Il suo catalogo comprende musica da camera e orchestrale, opere elettroacustiche e acusmatiche, lavori multimediali, teatro musicale e musica per il giovane pubblico. La sua ricerca riguarda la risonanza come dimensione del timbro e lo spazio come parametro compositivo, tema del suo dottorato e del suo quadro teorico Spatial Grammar.

Esecuzioni e festival

Le sue opere sono state commissionate ed eseguite in Europa, Nord e Sud America, Australia e Cina, da ensemble e orchestre tra cui l’Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali, Dedalo Ensemble, Broad Band Ensemble, Noise Ensemble, Ned Ensemble, New Made Ensemble, Icarus Ensemble, Duo Alterno, Taller Sonoro, Cube Ensemble (Chicago), Duo 46 (USA) e Trio Flair (Svizzera).

Tra i festival e le sedi: Spatial Audio Gathering (University of Leeds), Festival Aperto (Reggio Emilia), Metropolis Electroacoustic Festival, Kairos Festival (2019), Camino Contro Corrente Festival, Centro de Experimentación del Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), Sulle Ali del Novecento, Spazio Musica (Cagliari), Piano City Milano, Osmose Festival (Belgio), Angelica Festival, Ars Electronica, Forum Wallis (Svizzera), Gare du Nord (Basilea), la Semaine de la Musique Électroacoustique (Université Lille 3), North and South Consonance (New York), il New York Guitar Seminar alla Mannes, Festival Bridges 2 (Lussemburgo), CIM 2016, il Simposio di Musica Contemporanea di Rosario e l’International Computer Music Conference (Belfast 2008, Perth 2013, Boston 2025).

È stata selezionata dalla giuria ISCM per rappresentare Italia e Argentina ai World New Music Days (Zagabria 2011, Košice–Bratislava–Vienna 2013, Breslavia 2014).

Premi

Premio, 7th Vienna International Music Competition, 2026
Primo Premio, Musik Academy Composition Competition, Vienna, 2020
Teatro musicale per ragazzi, Centro di Musica Contemporanea e New Made Ensemble, Milano, 2017
Concorso di composizione per pianoforte, World Piano Teachers Association, Novi Sad, 2016
European Erasmus Electronic Music Competition, Université Paris 8, 2012
Sonom – Sound Art International Festival, Monterrey, 2012
Concorso Internazionale di Composizione “Terra di Puglia”, 2012
Premio Trinac, Fundación Encuentros, Buenos Aires, 2011
Miriam Gideon Prize, Search for New Music, International Alliance for Women in Music (USA), 2010
Concorso Internazionale di Composizione Claxica, 2009
Italian Percussion Society, 2007

Residenze e visite di ricerca

Residenze artistiche: Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (USA); Gästeatelier Krone, Aarau (Svizzera); Italian Composers Forum, Centro di Musica Contemporanea, Milano
Visite di ricerca dottorali: IEM – Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics, Graz; ZKM, Karlsruhe; prossimamente all’Université Paris 8

Formazione

Dottoranda di ricerca in Composizione elettroacustica, Conservatorio “U. Giordano”, Foggia
Diploma accademico di II livello in Musica elettronica, Conservatorio “G. Verdi”, Milano
Diploma accademico di II livello in Tecnologie del suono e Composizione, Conservatorio “A. Boito” e Università di Parma
Laurea magistrale in Composizione, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (Argentina)
IRCAM Workshop, Biennale di Venezia, 2011
SaMPL – Sound and Music Processing Lab, Wave Field Synthesis, Conservatorio “C. Pollini”, Padova, 2014
Composizione per strumenti e live electronics, Icarus Ensemble
Stage al GRAME, Lione
Corsi di perfezionamento in composizione all’Accademia Lorenzo Perosi (Biella) e alla Civica Scuola di Musica (Milano); corsi estivi all’Accademia Chigiana, Siena (1991–1992)
Masterclass e seminari con Francisco Kröpfl, Dante Grela, Franco Donatoni, György Ligeti, Ennio Morricone, Henri Pousseur e Javier Torres Maldonado

Ricerca e conferenze

Ha presentato il suo lavoro all’International Computer Music Conference (ICMC 2025), a EuroMAC 11 (ESMUC, Barcellona, 2026), all’ENIM (Università di Aveiro, 2022; Università di Évora, 2025), ai Convegni di Analisi e Teoria Musicale del GATM (2020, 2022, 2023, 2025), al Convergence Seminar (Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts, 2022), al convegno Interactive Compositional Spaces and Microtonalities: A Tribute to Giacinto Scelsi (Fondazione Levi, SIMC, Micromega Arte e Cultura, Fondazione Civici Musei, 2020), a Il Suono Occulto (Parma, 2014), al I Congresso Internazionale SATMUS (Madrid, 2023), all’Accademia Sibelius (Helsinki), alla Conferenza internazionale della World Piano Teachers Association (2016) e all’Universidad Nacional de las Artes (Buenos Aires). Nel 2026 presenterà a Sound and Music Computing (Zagabria) e a I3DA (Venezia).

Pubblicazioni

Partiture: Edizioni Curci (Nayla, De Puna y Pampa, Suite Tupac Amaru), Edizioni Bèrben (Malambo, Fideal, Pain is not linear), Editions Delatour (Dos epígrafes para el general Lavalle, Shalott), Edizioni Sconfinarte (Per un addio, Attraversamenti, Permanenze, Los senderos que se bifurcan, Imaginary Beings, The Banshee, The Banshee’s keen, Solen, Umar).

Scritti:

“Tombeau de Messiaen ovvero del dualismo armonia/timbro”, Nuove Musiche 3 (2017): 83-117. DOI: 10.12871/97888333922335
“Toward a Spatial Grammar for Immersive Music: Space as a Structural Parameter Across Audio Systems”, I3DA 2026 (Venezia). Zenodo (2026). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23022125
“Cirrus Light: Ambiguity and Clarity in the Music of Jonathan Harvey”, presentato al XXI Convegno GATM, Conservatorio “G. Martucci”, Salerno (2024); Zenodo (2026). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18827931
“Caves in the Skies: A Sound Cartography of Exoplanets”, in Research Outputs of the PhD in Electroacoustic Composition, Sonic Arts, and Intermedia Applications, Conservatorio di Musica “Umberto Giordano” (2025). DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17537630
“La estructura de la música atonal: dos enfoques”, CODEXXI, Barcellona (1998)
“El análisis musical”, Conceptos, Universidad del Museo Social Argentino (1989)

Discografia

Marcela Pavia – Max E. Keller, album monografico, Neos (Germania)
Ondine, Pain is not linear – CD Waves, Bèrben, New Tone Contemporary Music Series
Fideal, Malambo – CD Portraits Vol. I, Bèrben
Shalott – Masterworks of the New Era Vol. 2, Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra
Piedra de Sol – Nuova Musica per Orchestra Vol. I, Archivi del XXI Secolo
Niebla – Climate Action Music
The Banshee’s keen – Perchitarrasola, Pilfink Records (Finlandia)
The Banshee’s keen – Argentina Music Collection Vol. III
Assonanze – Sunrise, RMN Music
Aleph – Chitarra e altre corde, Acusmonium Audior
Temple Bell – Piano-Haiku, Archivi del XXI Secolo
Dietro gli specchi d’acqua e aria – New Music Demo 2013, Archivi del XXI Secolo
Taiel – Sonom 2012
Pollerita colorada, Vidala – Verdemar, Beat Records

Didattica

Ha insegnato al Conservatorio “G. Verdi” di Milano, negli Istituti Civici Musicali di Crema e Varese, al Conservatorio “Manuel de Falla” di Buenos Aires, all’Universidad del Museo Social Argentino, all’Universidad del Salvador e all’Universidad Nacional de Rosario, ed è stata docente del dipartimento di Composizione del Soundscape Festival (2010–2022).

Giurie

Seeyousound – Frequencies Live Contest, Teatro Massimo, Torino, 2026
S3DAPC – Student 3D Ambisonic Production Competition, IEM, Università di Graz, 2025
Concorso di composizione, World Piano Teachers Association, 2018–2022
Concorso di composizione per coro, Festival Nuovi Orizzonti Sonori, Porretta Terme, 2016

Affiliazioni

Membro di SIMC-Italia (Sezione italiana dell’ISCM), Agon Acustica Informatica Musica, AIMI – Associazione di Informatica Musicale Italiana, GATM – Gruppo di Analisi e Teoria Musicale, FADEC – Foro Argentino de Compositoras e UNACOM.