Chiyoko Szlavnics was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and has lived in Berlin, Germany, since 1998.

She studied music at the University of Toronto, and privately with the composer James Tenney.

She composes for a wide variety of instruments and ensembles, often combining them with sinewaves. A central aspect of her work is the audible phenomenon called “beating”, which is highlighted through her particular use of extended sustains, glissandi, tuning systems, and her way of combining acoustic instruments with electronics.

Drawings became the starting point for her compositional process around the year 2003. But in 2009 & 2010, several drawings series suddenly emerged, which distinctly belonged to the field of visual art. Szlavnics now practices in both disciplines, and not only are her drawings heard in concert, but her music is sometimes also seen in exhibitions in Europe and North America.