Mia Palencia is a singer-songwriter and educator. Born in Malaysia, she has written, recorded and released seven albums in jazz and popular music genres, and has performed extensively throughout Asia and Australia.
Mia first began dabbling in musical theatre as a performer in 2006. In 2014, she was commissioned by the Kuala Lumpur City Council to compose her first musical, MUD: Our Story of KL. The show ran for an unprecedented 3 years, making it Malaysia’s longest running musical. Her second musical, Ola Bola The Musical (2017), has enjoyed three successful runs and won 8 awards at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards, including Best Original Score. Her third musical, Euphrasia The Musical (2018), enjoyed its second run in February 2020.
Mia’s passion for songwriting is a strong focus of her PhD research. She is based at the Conservatorium of Music, University of Tasmania, where she lectures in songwriting and contemporary voice.