Maria Atallah is a Canadian composer, pianist and teacher from Ottawa. In 2015, she received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Ottawa under the guidance of John Armstrong and Frédéric Lacroix in composition as well as Andrew tunis in piano. Maria was awarded 1st prize (Godfrey Ridout Awards) for the 2017 SOCAN Foundation young composers competition for her piece entitled Hymn to Inana and was named a semi-finalist at the 2014 International Sorodha Composition Competition based in Antwerp, Belgium for her Three Pieces for Unaccompanied Cello. Other awards include the University of Ottawa Jean-Marie Beaudet Scholarship for outstanding potential in composition and a City of Ottawa YCPP grant. During the summer of 2016, Maria participated in the Orford Academy’s Creation workshop where she had the privilege to study with composers Ana Sokolovic, Jean Lesage and collaborate with the academy’s contemporary ensemble under the direction of conductor Véronique Lacroix.
Maria is currently pursuing a masters in music composition at McGill University where she is a student of Jean Lesage. She was also named Composer-In-Residence for the Schulich Singers, McGill's premier chamber choir, led by Jean-Sebastien Vallée. Maria's research is inspired by the connection between ancient and contemporary music. Her thesis explores melodic, heterophonic writing articulated by electroacoustic inspired techniques. When she is not working on her music, Maria enjoys reading, training in the art of Muay Thai and listening to hip-hop.
Maria is currently pursuing a masters in music composition at McGill University where she is a student of Jean Lesage. She was also named Composer-In-Residence for the Schulich Singers, McGill's premier chamber choir, led by Jean-Sebastien Vallée. Maria's research is inspired by the connection between ancient and contemporary music. Her thesis explores melodic, heterophonic writing articulated by electroacoustic inspired techniques. When she is not working on her music, Maria enjoys reading, training in the art of Muay Thai and listening to hip-hop.