Elisa Quarello

A real talent for cinema and theatre, an immediate expressive power and a great sensitivity for dramaturgy: these are some of the qualities that characterize the work of Italian composer, director and actress Elisa Quarello.

Based in Cologne, Elisa Quarello brilliantly graduated in Composition from Conservatory of Music “G. B. Martini”(Bologna, 2014), in Italian Literature (Bachelor, Venice 2010) and in Italian Philology and Literature (Master, Venice 2014). In 2024, Elisa Quarello began working also as director and actress, attending courses with renowned coaches and actors, such as Oliver Nötzel (ETI Berlin, 2025), Gerhard Roiss (Cologne, 2025) and Christoph Hilger (Cologne, 2024).

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 Elisa Quarello made a successful international debut as a composer in April 2015, receiving wide acclaim from both the public and critics following her victory in the “Neue Szenen II” International Composition Competition organized by the Deutsche Oper Berlin.Her music has also been performed by international orchestras and ensembles, such as Gulbenkian Orchestra of Lisbon and FontanaMIX Ensemble of Bologna. She has worked in several world-renowned theaters, like Komische Oper Berlin, Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin and Oper Köln. 

 
Starting from her piano composition Nach Kandinsky: drei Impressionen, Elisa Quarello went on to create two films, Der blaue Klang (en. The Blue Sound) in 2022 and Der rote Klang (en. The Red Sound) in 2024, both directed, written and starred by the composer. Since 2024, Der rote Klang has received numerous film awards in the categories of Best Actress, Director, and Composer. Among the accolades are those from the One-Reeler Short Film Competition in Los Angeles, the Belgrade International Film Festival, the Hollywood Best Indie Film Awards in Los Angeles, a Special Event at the 75th Berlinale (2025) and the Sofia International Film Festival 2025.