Born in Lima, Peru in 1978. From 1998–2000 Jimmy López studied with Peruvian composer Enrique Iturriaga at the National Conservatory of Music in Lima, and from 2000–2007 with Veli-Matti Puumala and Eero Hämeenniemi at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, from where he obtained his Master of Music.

Jimmy López has taken master classes with Magnus Lindberg, Jouni Kaipainen, Klas Torstensson, Michael Nyman, Ole Lützow-Holm, Zsolt Nagy, Marek Kopelent, Philippe Manoury, Brian Ferneyhough, Jonathan Harvey, Theo Loevendie, Betsy Jolas, Helmut Lachenmann, Toshio Hosokawa, Beat Furrer, Adriana Hölszky, Mark André, Diether Mack and Manos Tsangaris. His works have been performed in Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Taiwan, and USA.

López has been awarded the following prizes:

• 2008 Kranichsteiner Musikpreis — 44th International Course for Contemporary Music, Darmstadt (Germany)
• 2008 Morton Gould Young Composer Award — New York (USA)
• 2008 Nicola de Lorenzo Prize — University of California at Berkeley (USA)
• 2006 Orchestra Composition Award — Sävellys 2006 Composition Competition (Finland)
• 2006 Stipendienpreis — 43rd International Course for Contemporary Music, Darmstadt (Germany)
• 2005 Honorable Mention — Irino Composition Prize for Chamber Music (Japan)
• 2003 First Prize — ALEA III 2003 International Composition Competition (USA)
• 2002 Orchestra Prize — CCA International Composition Competition (Taiwan)

Mr. López is currently studying a PhD in composition at the University of California at Berkeley. He is a member of ASCAP (America Association of Composers, Authors & Publishers), Suomen Säveltäjät (Society of Finnish Composers), and Circomper (Circle of Composers of Peru). Future events include performances with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, among others, in cooperation with conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya.