Biography

Carmine-Emanuele Cella

Composer.

English

His works have been commissioned and premiered by leading institutions and performers in Europe. IRCAM commissioned Già s'ottenebra il giorno, premiered at the Centre Pompidou by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under Leo Hussain (ManiFeste, 2012), and, with Radio France, Reflets de l'ombre for large orchestra and live electronics, premiered at the Salle Pleyel under Jukka-Pekka Saraste (2013). I am in blood, for fifteen instruments, augmented instruments and three-dimensional sound, co-commissioned by IRCAM–Centre Pompidou and L'Itinéraire, was premiered at IRCAM's Espace de projection in 2023 and is the title work of a monographic CD to be released by Kairos in late 2026. His concerto for augmented vibraphone and large orchestra, When the moon of mourning is set, co-commissioned by IRCAM and Milano Musica, was premiered in May 2026 by the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI under Michele Gamba, with Minh-Tâm Nguyen as soloist, in Turin and at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

A long collaboration with Les Percussions de Strasbourg produced the cycle Les espaces physiques (2017–2022: Inside-out, Kore, Dendrum, Kobi), in which the electronics are produced inside the instruments themselves, placed around the audience — the practical form of what he calls musica hic et nunc, music bound to a place and a moment. Other works include the opera Pane, sale, sabbia (Kyiv National Opera, 2017), Random forests for the Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, La mémoire de l'eau, commissioned by the Casa de Velázquez, and Atlas, performed simultaneously at the Centre Pompidou, the Onassis Foundation in Athens and ZKM Karlsruhe. His scores are published by Casa Ricordi and Edizioni Suvini Zerboni, Milan.

He studied piano, computer music and composition at the Conservatorio Rossini in Pesaro and composition with Azio Corghi at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where he took his doctorate; he holds a second doctorate, in applied mathematics, from the University of Bologna. He was composer in research at IRCAM (2013), a member of the Académie de France à Madrid at the Casa de Velázquez (2013–14) and Italian Fellow at the American Academy in Rome (2016). He received the Petrassi prize for composition from the President of the Italian Republic (2008), the Teatro La Fenice's Una vita nella musica – Giovani prize, and the Traiettorie prize (2022); he was a finalist of the Isang Yun competition (2011) and of the Basel Composition Competition (2019, jury chaired by Helmut Lachenmann), and was nominated for the Pierre de Monaco prize (2018) and the Franco Abbiati prize of the Italian music critics (2019). Earlier in his career he worked for several years as a répétiteur in European theatres and festivals, including the Rossini Opera Festival and the Wexford Festival Opera.

He is Associate Professor of Music at the University of California, Berkeley, where he co-directs the Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT) and held the Jerry and Evelyn Hemmings Chambers Distinguished Professorship in Music (2023–26). At IRCAM he was director of artistic research (2025–26), where he founded the institute's hybrid art/science research programme. His research on orchestration, timbre and machine learning has produced the computer-assisted orchestration system Orchidea, used by composers and conservatoires internationally, and some fifty peer-reviewed publications; in 2025 he lectured at the Collège de France.

Short bio (English, ~150 words)

Carmine-Emanuele Cella is a composer. His music is about writing the sound itself: each note and each musical figure are the components of a global sonic image, unified and physical, that reveals the tragic story of sounds. His works have been commissioned and premiered by IRCAM, Radio France (Reflets de l'ombre, Salle Pleyel), the Centre Pompidou, Milano Musica and the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI (When the moon of mourning is set, Teatro alla Scala, 2026), L'Itinéraire, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, the Kyiv National Opera and the Teatro La Fenice, and are published by Casa Ricordi and Edizioni Suvini Zerboni. A monographic CD, I am in blood, is to be released by Kairos in late 2026. A student of Azio Corghi, he has been in residence at IRCAM, the Casa de Velázquez and the American Academy in Rome, and has received the Petrassi and Traiettorie prizes. He is Associate Professor at UC Berkeley, where he co-directs CNMAT; his research on orchestration and timbre, drawing on a second doctorate in applied mathematics, produced the orchestration system Orchidea.

Français

Ses œuvres ont été commandées et créées par des institutions et des interprètes de premier plan. L'Ircam lui a commandé Già s'ottenebra il giorno, créé au Centre Pompidou par l'Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France sous la direction de Leo Hussain (ManiFeste, 2012), puis, avec Radio France, Reflets de l'ombre pour grand orchestre et électronique, créé Salle Pleyel sous la direction de Jukka-Pekka Saraste (2013). I am in blood, pour quinze instruments, instruments augmentés et son en trois dimensions, commande de l'Ircam–Centre Pompidou et de L'Itinéraire, a été créé à l'Espace de projection de l'Ircam en 2023 ; il donne son titre au disque monographique à paraître chez Kairos fin 2026. Son concerto pour vibraphone augmenté et grand orchestre, When the moon of mourning is set, commande de l'Ircam et de Milano Musica, a été créé en mai 2026 par l'Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI sous la direction de Michele Gamba, avec Minh-Tâm Nguyen en soliste, à Turin puis au Teatro alla Scala de Milan.

Une longue collaboration avec Les Percussions de Strasbourg a donné naissance au cycle Les espaces physiques (2017–2022 : Inside-out, Kore, Dendrum, Kobi), où l'électronique est produite à l'intérieur même des instruments, disposés autour du public — forme concrète de ce qu'il nomme musica hic et nunc, une musique liée à un lieu et à un instant. Parmi ses autres œuvres : l'opéra Pane, sale, sabbia (Opéra national de Kyiv, 2017), Random forests pour l'orchestre du Teatro La Fenice, La mémoire de l'eau, commande de la Casa de Velázquez, et Atlas, joué simultanément au Centre Pompidou, à la Fondation Onassis d'Athènes et au ZKM de Karlsruhe. Ses partitions sont publiées par Casa Ricordi et les Edizioni Suvini Zerboni (Milan).

Il a étudié le piano, l'informatique musicale et la composition au Conservatoire Rossini de Pesaro, puis la composition avec Azio Corghi à l'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia de Rome, où il a obtenu son doctorat ; il est également docteur en mathématiques appliquées de l'Université de Bologne. Compositeur en recherche à l'Ircam (2013), membre de l'Académie de France à Madrid – Casa de Velázquez (2013–14) et pensionnaire de l'American Academy in Rome (2016), il a reçu le prix Petrassi de composition des mains du président de la République italienne (2008), le prix Una vita nella musica – Giovani du Teatro La Fenice et le prix Traiettorie (2022) ; il a été finaliste du concours Isang Yun (2011) et du Basel Composition Competition (2019, jury présidé par Helmut Lachenmann), et nommé au prix Pierre de Monaco (2018) et au prix Franco Abbiati de la critique musicale italienne (2019). Il a par ailleurs été pendant plusieurs années chef de chant dans des théâtres et festivals européens, dont le Rossini Opera Festival et le Wexford Festival Opera.

Il est professeur associé à l'Université de Californie à Berkeley, où il codirige le Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT) et a été titulaire de la chaire Jerry and Evelyn Hemmings Chambers (2023–26). À l'Ircam, il a été directeur de la recherche artistique (2025–26) et y a fondé le programme de recherche hybride art/science. Ses recherches sur l'orchestration, le timbre et l'apprentissage automatique ont donné naissance au système d'orchestration assistée Orchidea, utilisé par des compositeurs et des conservatoires dans le monde entier, et à une cinquantaine de publications ; il a donné une conférence au Collège de France en 2025.

Biographie courte (français, ~150 mots)

Carmine-Emanuele Cella est compositeur. Sa musique est une écriture du son lui-même : chaque note et chaque figure musicale sont les composantes d'une image sonore globale, unifiée et physique, qui révèle l'histoire tragique des sons. Ses œuvres ont été commandées et créées par l'Ircam, Radio France (Reflets de l'ombre, Salle Pleyel), le Centre Pompidou, Milano Musica et l'Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI (When the moon of mourning is set, Teatro alla Scala, 2026), L'Itinéraire, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, l'Opéra national de Kyiv et le Teatro La Fenice ; elles sont publiées par Casa Ricordi et les Edizioni Suvini Zerboni. Un disque monographique, I am in blood, paraîtra chez Kairos fin 2026. Élève d'Azio Corghi, il a été en résidence à l'Ircam, à la Casa de Velázquez et à l'American Academy in Rome, et a reçu les prix Petrassi et Traiettorie. Il est professeur associé à l'Université de Californie à Berkeley, où il codirige le CNMAT ; ses recherches sur l'orchestration et le timbre, nourries d'un second doctorat en mathématiques appliquées, ont donné naissance au système d'orchestration assistée Orchidea.

Italiano

Biografia breve (italiano, ~150 parole)

Carmine-Emanuele Cella è compositore. La sua musica è una scrittura del suono stesso: ogni nota e ogni figura musicale sono le componenti di un'immagine sonora globale, unitaria e fisica, che svela la tragica storia dei suoni. Le sue opere sono state commissionate ed eseguite in prima assoluta dall'Ircam, da Radio France (Reflets de l'ombre, Salle Pleyel), dal Centre Pompidou, da Milano Musica e dall'Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI (When the moon of mourning is set, Teatro alla Scala, 2026), da L'Itinéraire, dalle Percussions de Strasbourg, dall'Opera Nazionale di Kyiv e dal Teatro La Fenice, e sono pubblicate da Casa Ricordi ed Edizioni Suvini Zerboni. Un CD monografico, I am in blood, uscirà per Kairos a fine 2026. Allievo di Azio Corghi, è stato in residenza all'Ircam, alla Casa de Velázquez e all'American Academy in Rome, e ha ricevuto i premi Petrassi e Traiettorie. È professore associato alla University of California, Berkeley, dove co-dirige il CNMAT; la sua ricerca sull'orchestrazione e sul timbro, che attinge a un secondo dottorato in matematica applicata, ha prodotto il sistema di orchestrazione assistita Orchidea.

Prizes and residencies

2022 — Traiettorie prize, Fondazione Prometeo, Parma
2019 — Finalist, Basel Composition Competition (jury chaired by Helmut Lachenmann); nomination, Franco Abbiati prize
2018 — Nomination, Prix Pierre de Monaco
2016 — Italian Fellow in composition, American Academy in Rome; Una vita nella musica – Giovani prize, Teatro La Fenice
2013–14 — Member of the Académie de France à Madrid, Casa de Velázquez
2013 — Composer in research, IRCAM
2011 — Finalist, Isang Yun international competition, South Korea
2008 — Petrassi prize for composition, from the President of the Italian Republic
2007 — Guarino grant, Accademia di Santa Cecilia; Contestabile grant, Accademia Chigiana
1998 — First prize, G. Rossini composition competition