Finola Merivale

A composer from Ireland, Finola Merivale’s music has been described by the Wire as “edgy and discomforting yet exciting and distinctive,” and by The Washington Post as a “wild ride.” Recent accolades include fellowships from MacDowell and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, a New York State Council on the Arts grant, and a Music Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland. In 2021, Finola and her creative team were the winners of the international Fedora Digital Prize for "As an nGnách/Out of the Ordinary," a community opera in virtual reality which was commissioned by Irish National Opera. Finola completed her DMA in Composition at Columbia University in 2023.

At the Institute, Merivale will compose new work – including a score for experimental film Selkie: The Seal Woman by Irina Patkanian – that incorporates interdisciplinarity, technology, and Irish musical traditions within conceptual ideas that consider violence against women.