Born in 1983 in Rome, she studied at the conservatoires of Milan and Paris, IRCAM, and Harvard University, with teachers such as Alessandro Solbiati, Frédéric Durieux, and Chaya Czernowin. She was a recipient of the Berliner Künstlerprogramm des DAAD (2013) and a Resident Fellow at Villa Médicis (the Rome seat of the French Academy, 2018–19). Her accolades include the Ernst von Siemens Composer Prize, Hindemith Prize (2018), Premio Una Vita nella Musica – Giovani (2019), and Premio Abbiati (2018). Her three monographic albums: A Failed Entertainment (Edition RZ), Earthing (Wesgro), and Moult (Kairos) reached the top of the German music critics’ Bestenliste. She has received commissions from ensembles such as the Arditti Quartet, Trio Catch, Quatuor Diotima, Ensemble intercontemporain, Ensemble 2e2m, JACK, Klangforum Wien, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Nikel, Münchener Kammerorchester, WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra in Vienna, and SWR Symphony in Stuttgart. 

Since 2014 Clara Iannotta has been the artistic director of Bludenzer Tage Zeitgemässer Musik. She is also a member of the Academy of the Arts in Berlin. From 2023, she has lectured a Vienna’s MDW University of Music and Performing Arts. She lives and works in Berlin. 

Selected works: siciliana miniatura for string trio (2009), Al di là del bianco for bass clarinet and string trio (2009), il colore dell’ombra for piano trio (2010), Limun for violin, viola and two page-turners (2011), àphones for 17 musicians (2011), clangs for cello and 15 musicians (2012), d’après for seven musicians (2012), A failed entertainment for string quartet (2013), The people here go mad. They blame the wind for bass clarinet, cello, piano and 12 music boxes (2013–14), intent on resurrection – spring or some such thing for 17 musicians (2014), 3 sur 5 for two percussionists and accordion (2012–15), troglodyte angels clank by for 13 amplified instruments and objects (2015), dead wasps in the jamjar II for orchestra (2016), paw marks in wet cement (ii) for piano, two percussion and amplified ensemble (2015–18), skull ark, upturned with no mast for four performers, installations, lights, movement, objects and electronics (2017–18), dead wasps in the jam-jar III for string quartet and laptop (2017–18), Outer Space, interactive piece for ensemble and electronics (2018), MOULT for orchestra (2018–19), Eclipse plumage for piano, flute (with objects), bass clarinet (with objects), violin, viola and cello (2019), You crawl over seas of granite for amplified string quartet (2019–20), They left us grief-trees wailing at the wall for ensemble (2020), echo from afar II for six musicians and electronics (2022), where the dark earth bends for RAGE Thormbones, orchestra and electronics (2022), m/r, audiovisual composition (with Chris Swithinbank and Eva G. Alonso, 2022), strange bird — no longer navigating by a star for orchestra (2023).