Sonia Mokhtari
Technology and Applied Composition
Professional Development
Courses Taught
Introduction to Music Technology
Education
Bachelor of Music Education, Université Lumière Lyon 2, France
MFA Music and Sound for Visual Arts, Université Lumière Lyon 2, France
Certificate of Audio for Game and Composition for Film and TV, Berklee College Online
Ensembles/Orchestras
Boxon band, 2012-2015
Jazz band, 1998 to 2002
Solo artist
Awards
Best film score: "Max: Shadow of Apocalypse," South Film and Arts Academy Festival, Chile
Best film score: "Max: Shadow of Apocalypse," Gangtok International Film Festival
Best film score: "2037: Under Artificial Justice," Tagore International Film Festival
Q&A
What is your hometown?
Vienne, Isère, France.
What is your favorite recording? Why?
Nina Simone, "Feeling Good." Nina had the most beautiful voice ever. I love soul and jazz music: "The feeling" in music is essential.
What are you passionate about outside of music?
Travel, movies, technology, swimming.
Who were your major teachers?
Marc Elvira (middle school music teacher) Claire Mathivet (science teacher) Guillaume Jeanne (jazz piano).
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
Never give up on your dreams, no matter how hard it gets.
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
In middle school, when music was the only thing that mattered in my life.
What was a turning point in your career?
When I quit my steady elementary school music job to become a sound designer and film composer.
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Bach, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock.
From a music history perspective, what year and city are most important to you, and why?
I love the music of Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky but also jazz, so I would say the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I'm a huge fan of colors and texture and I like how they were able to create moods, tone colors, and a touch of freedom.
What is your unrealized project?
A symphony.
What do you think makes a concert experience unique?
The ambience, quality of the venue, the production and the sound quality.
What are your most important collaborations?
Yassin Bouhaik for the feature film "Max: Shadow of Apocalypse," Laetitia Pansanel Garric (co- composition on a documentary), Percussion Orchestra, Conservatory of Lyon (I wrote a piece for a movie concert).
Biography
Sonia Mokhtari is a composer, sound designer and music teacher with over two decades of extensive expertise. She plays piano, guitar, ukulele and drums. Originally from France, her unwavering passion for all things music began early on.
She received a B.A in Music Education and M.F.A in Music & Sound for Visual Media, from University Lumière of Lyon 2 and a certificate of Music for Film, TV and Games at Berklee College Online. To date, Sonia has proudly served as the sound designer & composer of a multitude of projects and companies. As an avid lover of music, Sonia aims to spread her enthusiasm and appreciation to people across the globe through her artistic endeavors. Ultimately, she sees music as a universal language that brings people together no matter where they’re from.