Bio
Diego Ayala Raffalli is a Venezuelan film composer based in Paris. His musical journey began with studying guitar at age nine, followed by studies in harmony and piano with jazz maestro Gerry Weil. After moving to France, he pursued a degree in music and sound engineering at UPEM University and studied composition, counterpoint, and electroacoustic music at the Val-Maubuée Conservatoire. An avid cinephile, he began specializing in film scoring at the Paul Dukas Conservatoire and later graduated with honors from the film score composition diploma at the High National Superior Conservatory of Paris (CNSMD Paris) in 2022.
His experience spans writing original music for films, advertising, dance performances, live-to-picture concerts, projection mappings, and orchestral works. Some of his notable projects include Don't Cry Butterfly (Venice Critics’ Week Settimana Internazionale della Critica Grand Prize, Verona Film Club Prize, Toronto International Film Festival, Busan Film Festival...), On the Edge (Student Academy Award Nominated), and My Wonderful Life (Singapore International Film Festival).
Diego’s eclectic musical background allows him to explore many influences, always seeking to serve the unique universe of each project. He values creative collaboration and enjoys working closely with directors to find the perfect musical voice for their projects.
In addition to composing, he is also an orchestrator and composer assistant. He notably orchestrated the Latin Grammy-nominated album Gerry Weil Sinfónico and has worked with French composer Delphine Malausséna on various film and TV projects.
Photo by Sofîa Barandiaran
Musical approach and philosophy
One of the key aspects of why I enjoy doing what I do is that film scoring is always an adventure into the unknown. Music is infinite, and the possibilities for scoring a scene are endless. It's in this initial discovery phase that, alongside the director or the creative team, we sail into the "sea of possibilities" (as Patti Smith would say) and set out to discover the music that best suits the film. Intuition guides every step of this journey, often taking us to strange or unexpected places. Sometimes the most obvious musical choice works best for a scene, and sometimes, through musical exploration and experimentation, we find something completely unexpected that resonates on a core emotional level.
Formal musical training and experience in screen scoring have provided me with the technical knowledge and sensibility to explore all genres. I always approach every project with a blank slate, detached from any preconceived notion of what a film score can or cannot be.
Artwork by Fanny Marec
Awards, residencies and festivals
FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL MUSIC & CINEMA MARSEILLE
Masterclass 2022 et Troisième Personnage 2023, 2024
Compositeur et interprète du ciné-concert de clôture du Festival en 2022.
France Music-SACEM film score award
Michel Legrand fait son cinéma 2022
Commission from Radio France following the 2020 "Prix de l'avenir"
FESTIVAL DES ARCS
Music Village 2021
Among the four composers selected to participate in the 2021 Music Village residency
PARIS CITY HALL
Festival Enfances au Cinéma 2021, 2020
Composer for a children’s film concert
FESTIVAL D'ANIMATION D'ANNECY
Festival credits
Composer for festival opening credits films Taste of Tokyo (2019), Idol-Idol (2019), Bumba meu Boi (2018)
