Paola Prestini

Paola Prestini is an Italian-born composer recognized for her contributions to contemporary classical music, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional leadership. Prestini is known for her work as co-founder and artistic director of the nonprofit music organization National Sawdust. A graduate of Juilliard and an advocate of minimalism and the avant-garde, she has composed scores for numerous award-winning films and has had her music performed by ensembles such as Kronos Quartet, Haydn Orchestra, and Prism Saxophone Quartet.

Since co-founding the multimedia production company VisionIntoArt, Prestini has collaborated with poets, filmmakers, and scientists on large-scale multimedia works exploring themes including the cosmos and the environment. Her collaborations span conservationists, poets, virtual reality film directors, astrophysicists, and puppeteers, resulting in more than 25 large-scale artistic works. Notable projects include the virtual reality opera "The Hubble Cantata" and the collaborative pandemic project "Con Alma," performed at the United Nations as a statement on solidarity and resilience of women in the digital age. She also created the eco-documentary "The Colorado," which airs on PBS.

Prestini's commitment to expanding the boundaries of opera is evident in works such as "Sensorium Ex," featuring a libretto by Brenda Shaughnessy and co-directed by Jerron Herman and Jay Scheib. This opera is recognized as the first to feature a nonverbal lead. "Primero Sueño," a processional opera co-created with Magos Herrera and Louisa Proske, brings to life the poetry of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and premiered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Cloisters in New York City. Prestini was the first woman featured in the Minnesota Opera's New Works Initiative with her grand opera "Edward Tulane" and participated in the New York Philharmonic's Project 19, the largest women-only commissioning initiative in history.

Prestini's institutional leadership is reflected in her role in opening National Sawdust in Brooklyn, following years of planning, fundraising, and collaboration with architects, designers, and musicians. As co-founder, she has worked with artists such as Robin Coste Lewis, Julie Mehretu, Nick Cave, David Byrne, Philip Glass, and Renée Fleming. Her compositions have been performed by leading organizations including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Dallas Opera, Barbican Center, and Bellas Artes. An advocate for equity in the music industry, Prestini has developed programs such as the Hildegard Commission and the Blueprint Fellowship for emerging and marginalized composers at the Juilliard School.

Her accolades include recognition as one of the "Top 100 Composers in the World" by NPR, one of the "Top 30 Professionals of the Year" by Musical America, and one of the "Top 35 Female Composers in Classical Music" by The Washington Post. She has received support from the Mellon and Ford Foundations, is a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow and a Sundance Institute Film Music Program Fellow, and has served as composer-in-residence at Park Avenue Armory, MASS MoCA, and the American Academy of Rome. Prestini is frequently cited as a leading figure in reshaping contemporary classical music in America.