Laura is an Italian composer living in Düsseldorf, Germany. She studied composition at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Turin, where she received her Master degree with highest honors. In 2018 she completed her post-Master studies in composition at the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule in Düsseldorf; in 2021 she received a Master of Music in choir conducting from the same institution. She studied piano with Professors M. Campajola, M. Immormino and G. Guida; choir conducting with Professors D. Tabbia and T. Nuoranne, composition with Professors G. Colombo Taccani, J. Sanchez-Verdù and A. Colla. 

Her music has been performed in Europe, England, Australia, the U.S. and Japan at festivals and venues such as Beethoven Fest Bonn, Schumann Fest Düsseldorf, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Oper Leipzig, Usedom Choral Festival, London Italian Culture Institute, Mise-En Festival, MiTo Settembre Musica, Schumann Fest Bonn, Unione Musicale di Torino among others. 
Her music made appearances in the albums “Augen” (with the piece “Climbing” for 12 female voices, 2021 Motette Psallite Verlag), “Elements” (with the piece “Vorrei” for sextet, 2023 Genuin Records – awarded the Preis der deutschen Schallplatten Kritik), and “Meridiane – spoken” (with the pieces “Aremu Rindineddha” and “Fimmine fimmine” for female sextet, 2025 Sjaella Ensemble).

Laura has been awarded prizes and recognitions in the field of composition: First Prize and InauditaMusica Prize at the International Composition Competition of Festival Fiati (2014, Novara, Italy), finalist composer at the Areon Flutes International Composition Competition (2016, California, USA), selected composer at Risuonanze Call for Scores (2016, Trieste, Italy) and at Mise-en Music Festival (2017, NYC, USA), finalist composer at Kaleidoscope Orchestra Call for Scores (2017, L.A., USA). She has also been awarded several scholarships in composition and choral conducting, including DMR Grant Program Neustart Kultur, NRW-Künstlerstipendium, Fondazione CRT - Master dei Talenti Scholarship for top graduates, DAAD Full Scholarship in composition, DAAD Full Scholarship in choral conducting. In 2023 she was selected for the prestigious artistic residency at Bogliasco American Foundation. From 2023 to 2025 she has been working as a Composer in Residence at Sjaella Ensemble. In 2024 she has been awarded the Förderpreis der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf.

Laura worked as a piano teacher and choir conductor at Stimmgewandt Studio für Gesang and as a music theory and composition teacher at Rheinische Musikschule Köln. She founded the Italia Altrove Choir, which she conducted from 2019 to 2024. From 2022 to 2024 she was assistant artistic director for the contemporary music festival “Schönes Wochenende” at Tonhalle Düsseldorf. Schönes Wochenende at Tonhalle Düsseldorf. Since 2024 she is mainly working as a freelance composer.

Alexina Hawkins is an Australian violist living in Berlin. She has performed in various ensembles, including the Kammerakademie Potsdam, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen,  Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, ensemble interface, Streicherakademie Bozen, M.A.M. Ensemble, Ensemble Reflektor, Ensemble Resonanz, amongst others, appearing in Europe, North & South America, Asia and Australia.

Alexina has performed in solo/chamber music/chamber orchestra formations at festivals including Bang On A Can Summer Festival (USA), Huntington Estate Music Festival, Canberra International Music Festival, Bangalow Festival (Festival Quartet, 2017), Bendigo International Festival of Exploratory Music (Australia), Musikfest Goslar, Rheingau Musik Festival, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany), Festival Opera Barga (Italy) and NOMUS Festival (Serbia).

composer_compositrice | new music sorceress

Du Yun, born and raised in Shanghai, China, based in New York, is a composer, multi-instrumentalists and performance artist, working at the intersection of orchestral, opera, chamber music, theatre, cabaret, pop music, oral tradition, visual arts, electronics and noise.

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