MATA Festival Composer Bios Ana Luisa Diaz de Cossio Ana Luisa Díaz de Cossío is a performer-composer whose work traverses the space between social structures, individuality, spontaneity, and explores resonance in physical as well as cultural space. Through extreme extended techniques, she challenges conventional instrument playing, exploring the possibilities and limits of sounds within an instrument. Her music is informed by political, social, and cultural awareness of the systems constituting our societies. She has participated in experimental festivals and fellowships around the world, including Manifesté-IRCAM (FR), Darmstadt Summer Course (DE), OneBeat Taiwan (TW), Experimental Institute at Antenna Cloud Farm (USA), Ensemble Evolution (USA), Karp Kamina Residency (Togo), ANMA+NordPlus Music Forum (EE), Dark Music Days (IS), Time for Music (FI), and ActinArt (DK), among others. Díaz de Cossío holds degrees from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Listaháskoli Íslands. She is currently a doctoral student at the University of California, San Diego.
Anselm McDonnell Anselm McDonnell (b. 1994) is an Irish/Welsh composer whose music has been described as “abrasive and compelling” (Irish Times) “dazzling... seductive... eerie and disturbing” (Planet Hugill)“a feast for the senses” (Morning Star) and “the cutting edge of musical creativity.” (Opera Journal). A diverse range of interests in cross-genre and multimedia art has led to collaboration with rap artists, lighting designers, poets, filmmakers, dancers, and actors, including the 5-star reviewed Politics of the Imagination, a rap opera commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra. McDonnell’s works embrace musical and emotional contrasts that “evoke emotional territories indicative of our time’s unsettled state of menace, balanced with personal moments of fragile hope and stability.” (Get Classical NYC) McDonnell has held residencies at the London Symphony Orchestra (Jerwood + composer for 2023/24), Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris (Oct/Nov 23), Belfast City Council (2022) and TACETi Ensemble in Bangkok (Jun 23). International performers of his music include Rosetta Ensemble (Japan), GAMEnsemble (Russia), Ottawa Guitar Orchestra (Canada), Ensemble Offspring (Australia), C4 Ensemble (USA), and Avanti! Chamber Orchestra (Finland). In the UK and Ireland, he has been commissioned and performed by the LSO, BBC Concert Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC NOW, BBC Singers, Crash Ensemble, Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble, Chamber Choir Ireland, and New Dublin Voices.
Bunita Marcus Bunita Marcus, born in Madison, Wisconsin, was a well-recognized pianist and bass clarinetist when she began composing at the age of thirteen. She worked in both electronic and instrumental mediums while at the