Biographical Info

Manena Contreras was born in 1966 in Caracas, Venezuela.  She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master’s degree in Composition, and a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University.  Contreras also received a degree in Law from Santa María University in Caracas, Venezuela.  She attended to Ars Nova School of Music, also in Caracas, for undergraduate studies under the guidance of María Eugenia Atilano.

Dr. Contreras has been honored with many different awards including the Presser Foundation Award; the 2008 SCI/ASCAP Student Composition Competition Region III winner; the Dr. John Henry Heller, Jr. Award for excellence in composition; the European International Competition for Composers Ibla Grand Prize 2001 as a Distinguished Musician with her Choral Work Glosas al Cancionero; the Dr. B. Stimson Carrow Tribute Award for outstanding pedagogical potential combined with a high standard of performance ability; and is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda.  Her work for solo clarinet Natalia Mía has been selected for performance at three Society of Composers’ National Conferences.  In 2005, she was designated as composer-in-residence at Temple University for the Momenta String Quartet, who recorded her piece Instantes.  Her music has been performed by the Temple University Symphony Orchestra, Dalí Quartet, Madison String Quartet, Iroma3 woodwind trio, Arcos de Venezuela String Quartet, and the Temple University Concert Choir.  Most recently, her piece Lumbre was commissioned and premiered by Carlos Izcaray and the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra.

Manena Contreras has also worked in Musical Production, having written music for documentaries, videos, records and jingles for different advertising purposes.  More recently, Contreras’ first album Instantes was released by Centaur Records.  Currently, she is working as a freelance composer and a conductor of the Allegro Voce Children’s Choir.