Clara Maïda lives in Paris and Berlin. She turned to music composition after studying psychology at the University and music at the conservatories in Marseille and Nice and at the Cefedem-Sud of Aubagne (1st Prize in composition and 1st Prize in piano in Anne QUEFFELEC’s class, National Diploma for piano teaching).

She attended the master classes and composition courses of Helmut LACHENMANN, Philippe MANOURY, Tristan MURAIL, Gérard GRISEY, Marco STROPPA in the ACANTHES Centre and at the CNSMDP (Paris Superior Conservatory of Music).

She was the guest of the Artists-in-Berlin program of the DAAD (2007-08).
She received various awards such as the BERLIN-RHEINSBERGER KOMPOSITIONSPREIS 2008, an Honorable Mention at EARPLAY DONALD AIRD PRIZE (USA, 2008), a Finalist selection at MUSICA NOVA (Czech Republic, 2008), the AKADEMIE DER KÜNSTE grant (Berlin, 2006), an Honorary Mention at PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA (Austria, 2007), the SALVATORE MARTIRANO MEMORIAL 2nd Prize (USA, 2003) and the Pedagogical SACEM Prize (1996), as well as commissions from DONAUESCHINGER MUSIKTAGE festival, the FRENCH MINISTRY OF CULTURE and L'ITINERAIRE, PROXIMA CENTAURI and ACCROCHE NOTE ensembles, the French SACEM (Klang! festival, NETZWERK NEUE MUSIK, KULTURSTIFTUNG DES BUNDES, Hamburg), the DAAD and the AKADEMIE DER KÜNSTE (Berlin), the LYON NATIONAL ORCHESTRA and the GMEM (Marseille).

Her pieces have been performed by various ensembles (ARDITTI STRING QUARTET, LYON NATIONAL ORCHESTRA, PELLEGRINI QUARTETT, KAMMERENSEMBLE NEUE MUSIK, PERCUSSIONS DE STRASBOURG, NOUVEL ENSEMBLE MODERNE, ENSEMBLE ORCHESTRAL CONTEMPORAIN, RESONANZ, L'ITINERAIRE, ACCROCHE NOTE, 2E2M, ALTERNANCE, PROXIMA CENTAURI ensembles...) within different festivals (Musica festival, Strasburg, Akademie der Künste, Inventionen and Ultraschall festivals, Berlin, Klang! festival, Hamburg, Weimarer Frühjahrstage für Zeitgenössische Musik, Weimar, Ars Musica festival, Brussels, Música Viva festival, Lisbon, Novart festival, Bordeaux, Les Musiques festival, Marseille, French May festival, Hong Kong, Emufest festival, Rome, Sound One festival, USA, Croisements festival, Shangaï, Electrovisiones festival, Mexico, Musikhøst festival, Denmark, Eleazar de Carvalho festival, Brazil, Opera of Rouen, Auditorium of Lyon, CDMC festival Territoires Polychromes, Paris...).

Her music has been broadcast on DEUTSCHLANDRADIO KULTUR (Berlin), NORDWESTRADIO (Bremen), SWISS RADIO DRS 2 (Basel) and RADIO GRENOUILLE (Marseille).

Two CDs have been published (Anania Iniji, GMEM of Marseille and METAMKINE Label, 2002, and in corpore vil, DAAD of Berlin and EDITIONS RZi, 2010).

Her articles "...ça écrit ça écrit ça écrit ça..." and "Instants-Passages" respectively came out in Filigranes n°6 and Cahiers bleus n°13 journals (2007 and 2000).

She gave lectures at the UNIVERSITÄT DER KÜNSTE, the AKADEMIE DER KÜNSTE, MARIO MAZZOLI sound art gallery, INVENTIONEN festival (Berlin), RENNES UNIVERSITY, the SUPERIOR SCHOOL OF ARTS in Rueil-Malmaison and the International Cultural Centre of Cerisy-La-Salle.