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 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 DAAD and the AKADEMIE DER KÜNSTE grants (Berlin, 2007 and 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 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, ENSEMBLE ORCHESTRAL CONTEMPORAIN, RESONANZ, ACCROCHE NOTE, 2E2M, ALTERNANCE, PROXIMA CENTAURI ensembles...) within different festivals (Musica festival, Strasbourg, Akademie der Künste, Inventionen festival and Beyond the wall Days, Berlin, Klang ! festival, Hamburg, 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, Musikhøst festival, Denmark, Eleazar de Carvalho festival, Brazil, Opera of Rouen, Auditorium of Lyon, CDMC festival Territoires Polychromes, Paris ...).

A CD (Anania Iniji, adapted from a text by Henri Michaux) has been published by the GMEM of Marseille (2002).

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).

Her music has been broadcast in « Musik unserer Zeit. Clara Maïda » and « Berlin für ein Jahr » programmes (SWISS RADIO DRS 2, Basel, Bettina BRAND, and DEUTSCHLANDRADIO KULTUR, Berlin, Christine ANDERSON, 2007).