Full Professor
Composition
Biography
With degrees in piano, organ, and composition, Marialuisa Balza has been teaching harmony, counterpoint, fugue, and composition since 2004, and orchestration since 2015, at the Pims in Rome.
A composer primarily of vocal and organ music, she wrote the opera La bottega dell'orefice, based on the play of the same name by Karol Wojtyla. In 2015, she took part in the Adkins Chiti: Women in Music Foundation project, for the composition of the Missa pro terrae humilibus, dedicated to Pope Francis, which was performed in St. Peter's Basilica and revived in Naples, Buenos Aires, and Turin.
She has participated in various composition projects at the Pims, including: I responsori della Settimana Santa (2010), I doni dello Spirito Santo (2013), Antifone Mariane (2015), the oratorio Agnosce, filii, misericordiam patris (2016), Ave Mater claritatis (2019), Via crucis (2024), and Corona stellarum duodecim (2025).
She has also written for various instrumental ensembles including the Images Flute Quartet and the Vagues Saxophone Quartet.
Research Interests
Historical master composers associated with the Pims
Orchestration in the 20th century
Contemporary sacred music
Piano and chamber music repertoire
Selected Publications
Al niño Jesus for mixer choir a cappella, Farcoro 2009 no. 3
Plange quasi virgo, Pascha nostrum in De Passione et Cruce Domini Responsoria, Ed.AISC - Cantet Vox Cantet Vita Melica Sacra, Rome, 2012
Tu Signore di tutto l’universo in Missa pro terrae humilibus, dedicated to His Holiness Pope Francis, Adkins Chiti: Women in Music Foundation project, Ed. Sillabe, Livorno 2015
Concerts and Recordings (selected)
Ave crux spes unica, for narrator, choir and orchestra, Cesena, Bonci Theater, February 15, 2001, Gli accademici di San Rocco Orchestra, conductor Antonio Cavuoto
La Bottega dell'orefice, excerpts from the opera for soloists and orchestra, Pesaro, Pedrotti Auditorium, November 22, 2010, G.Rossini Conservatory Orchestra, conductor Luca Ferrara
Piange quasi virgo, for female choir, Pascha nostrum, for organ, for the Pims composers’ project I Responsori della settimana santa, Rome, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare, March 13, 2010, Pims Polyphonic Choir, Walter Marzilli conductor, Marialuisa Balza and Michele Manganelli,organ
Petrus apostolus, Introit for the Messa in onore di San Giovanni Paolo II, for choir and organ, Pims Composers’ Project, Rome, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare, April, 2, 2011, Pims Polyphonic Choir, Walter Marzilli conductor, Marco di Lenola organ
Antifone mariane, Suite Ave maris stella, Quattro quadri della vita di Cristo, Passacaglia su Veni creator spiritus for organ, Rome, Academic Hall of the Pims, April, 17, 2011, Marialuisa Balza organ
Puer natus, for flute quartet, Rome, Academic Hall of the Pims, December, 17, 2011, Image Flute Quartet
Vox dilecti mei, for mixed choir a cappella for the Pims Composers’ Project Cantico dei Cantici, Rome, Basilica of Sant'Apollinare, April, 28, 2012, Pims Polyphonic Choir, Walter Marzilli conductor
Et emitte caelitus Lucis tuae radium (Wisdom), Riga quod est aridum (Understanding), Imple superna Gratia (Counsel), for organ, for the Pims Composers’ Project I doni dello Spirito Santo, Rome, Academic Hall of the Pims, April, 22, 2013, Marialuisa Balza organ
Ave regina coelorum, for choir and string orchestra for the Pims Composers’ Project Antifone mariane, Rome, Basilica of Sant'Apollinare, May, 8, 2015, Pims Polyphonic Choir, Novus Concentus Orchestra, Walter Marzilli conductor
Tu Signore di tutto l'universo, from Missa pro terrae humilibus, for choir and organ, Adkins Chiti: Women in Music Foundation project, Rome, St. Peter's Basilica, May, 9, 2015, Coro Italia senza frontiere, Antonella Barbarossa conductor, Gianluca Libertucci organ
Evocación, from Profumo di Azahar, for piano, Rome, Academic Hall of the Pims, June, 15, 2015, Claudio Trovajoli, pianoforte
Music for Agnosce,filii, misericordiam patris, Pims Composers’ Project, for speaking voices, soloists, choir, brass and organ, Florence, Duomo, September, 30, 2016, Rome, Basilica of the Holy Twelve Apostles, November, 12, 2016, Brass of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Soloists and Choir of the Musical Chapel of Santa Maria del Fiore, Nicola Tangari, Elisa Ferrara and Marialuisa Balza speaking voices, Michele Manganelli conductor, Daniele Dori organ
Lisianthus, for flute and piano, Donne di fiori project, Milan, Museo del ‘900, June, 4, 2019, Sonia Formenti, flute, Lucia Barcella, piano; Rovigo, Sala Oliva- Accademia dei Concordi, December, 22, 2019, Antonella Bini, flute, Gabriele Rota, piano
Ave mater, for choir and string orchestra, for the Pims Composers’ Project Ave mater claritatis, Rome, Basilica of the Saints Ambrose and Charles on the Corso, May, 15, 2019, Pims Singers, Musicus Concentus Orchestra, Walter Marzilli conductor
Suscipe coelum et numera stellas, Sarai - Sara for organ, Lallio (Bergamo), Archpresbyteral Church, Box organi: Suoni e Parole d'Autore, October, 3, 2020, Stefano Rattini organ
Ex qua mundo lux est orta, for saxophone quartet, San Pellegrino Terme ( Bergamo), I colori dell'aria 2, November, 22, 2022, Vagues Saxophone Quartet
…Se una notte d'inverno un paio d'angeli… ,musical fairy tale based on a text by Alessandro Bottelli, for speaking voice, two recorders, flute, oboe, bassoon, guitar, cello, percussion, Bergamo, Church of San Nicola ai Celestini, December, 10, 2023, Ensemble Il Sottobosco, Marialuisa Balza speaking voice
Music for Via crucis, Pims Composers’ Project, for speaking voices, soloists, choir and orchestra, Florence, Duomo, March, 15, 2024, Soloist and Choir of the Musical Chapel of Santa Maria del Fiore, Art Ensemble of the Fiesole Music School, Nicola Tangari and Marialuisa Balza speaking voices, Michele Manganelli conductor, Daniele Dori organ
Stavo bene a casa mia, for vocal quintet, flute and harp, Rome, Festival Concertando, IX Edition, Academic Hall of the Pims, April, 19, 2024, Vocal Ensemble Vox Praeclara, Giuseppe Pelura flute, Maria Di Giulio harp
Janua coeli, for saxophone quartet, Torre Boldone (Bergamo), I colori dell'aria 11, November, 9, 2024, Vagues Saxophone Quartet
Music for Corona stellarum duodecim, Pims Composers Project, for speaking voices, soloists, choir, orchestra and organ, Rome, Basilica of Sant'Apollinare, May, 16, 2025, Pims, Polyphonic Choir, Contemporary Music Orchestra of Rome, Maria Grazia Schiavo and Marco Severin soloist, Nicola Tangari and Giacomo Balduzzi speaking voices, Walter Marzilli conductor, Marialuisa Balza organ
CD - De Passione et Cruce Domini Responsoria - 2012 - FANS 8032706951517
CD - Veni Sponsa Christi - 2023- 0734598257873