She studied modern harp under the guidance of Luciana Chierici at the Civic School of Music in Milan and graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Pesaro in 1976.
She attended masterclasses with David Watkins in London and Zürich, as well as with Emmy Huerlimann.
She pursued musicology courses with Michael Morrow in London and is a founding member of the Society of Historical Harp.
Since 1984, she has dedicated herself to performing a Baroque harp repertoire, perfecting her skills at the Conservatory of Rotterdam (as a scholarship winner), and at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, under the direction of Patrick O'Brien (as a Fulbright scholarship recipient).
She has performed with the orchestras of RAI in Milan and Naples, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Opera of Genoa, and served as a harpist in Altra Prima Arpa (competition winner) at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo from 1980 to 1989, and at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
She is very active as a soloist and collaborates with leading early music groups in Italy and Europe.
She has recorded for labels such as Tactus, Symphonia Records, Arcana, Erato, Harmonia Mundi, and Opus 111.
Her recordings include:
In addition to teaching at ESMUC, Mara is a professor of Renaissance and Baroque harp at the Civic School of Music in Milan since 1989.