Mika Pelo

Professor Mika Pelo is a Swedish composer and academic serving as Professor of Music and Graduate Advisor of Composition and Theory at the University of California, Davis. He holds a Ph.D. in composition from Columbia University, with mentors Tristan Murail and Bent Sørensen. His work blends spectralist techniques and Scandinavian lyricism, described as 'controlled dreaming.'

Education:

• Ph.D. in Composition, Columbia University
• Principal Teachers: Tristan Murail, Bent Sørensen

Research Interests: Composition, analysis of spectral music, electronic music, and avant-garde techniques reinterpreted through romantic sensibilities.

Awards & Honors:

• 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship
• 2019 Fromm Foundation Commission
• Peterson-Berger Foundation Residency (2023–2024)

Advising & Grants: Advises graduate students in composition and theory. Secured grants including the Fromm Commission for ensemble performance support.

Labs/Ensembles: Collaborates with the Empyrean Ensemble and orchestras like the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra, and Flux Quartet.