About

Gabriella Magnani (she/they) is a composer, vocalist, and investigative musician whose work explores the physical, intimate nature of pitch, texture, and timbre. They graduated magna cum laude from Colorado College with a degree in music and in classics-English, and while there, they were the first female musician to complete a composition capstone. In 2016, Magnani worked with late composer Michael Friedman to create the original show “Purple State Purple Haze” in partnership with WNYC and The New Yorker. The following year, they were invited to participate as a composer in the International Summer Academy of Music in Ochsenhausen, Germany. They were also a 2020 grantee through MASS MoCA’s 2020 Assets For Artists (A4A) program.

Using music as an investigative tool means approaching each work with specific questions. How might noise be repositioned as music? Can that re-contextualization change our understanding of sound in our daily lives? What can we learn about our relationships with animals through field recordings of animal song? How are ancient stories told and understood in 21st century America, and what can that teach us about our own society and perspective? How can physical sensations (such as chest pain, lightheadedness, or exhaustion) be emulated musically? How can music be a part of understanding our own experience of trauma, loss, and grief?

Magnani has composed for concerts, films, live theater, dance, podcasts, and site-specific installations. They use unconventional sounds and instruments, including works for orca vocalizations, birdsong, iPhone ringtones, and city sounds, and they often make use of extended techniques. They are currently based in Brooklyn,where Magnani sings with the New York City Master Chorale, looks at birds, and waits patiently for their train to arrive.

Reach them at g_magnani@outlook.com and on IG @gabriella_magna