She graduated from Temple University degree in music theory, cum laude, and with a master's and doctorate in composition.
Alba Potes' compositions have been performed by the Montreal Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony of Colombia, National Philharmonic Orchestra of Venezuela, Darmstadt 2000 Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, the Symphony Orchestra of Cali, Festival Internacional Cervantino, International Alliance for Women in Music, the ISCM in New York, Parnassus,[4] the Composer's Conference at Wellesley College, the Network for New Music, Momenta Quartet, The Stefan Wolpe Society, the New York New Music Ensemble, the Institute for New Music in Freiburg, Germany, the ISCM in Seoul, South Korea and at International Musical Festivals in Germany, México, El Salvador, England, Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela.
Her music has been performed by soprano Susan Narucki, pianists David Holtzman, Charles Abramovic, Martha Marchena, Ana Cervantes, and Blair McMiller, saxophonist Marshall Taylor, percussionist Mircea Ardeleanu and violist Stephanie Griffin.
Her orchestral compositions "Cantares para Orquesta" and "Reflexiones" were winners of the 2002 New Music Reading Sessions of The Women's Philharmonic in San Francisco, and the 1994 Riverside Symphony's First International Composers Reading Project in New York.
Ms. Potes has received commissions from, among others, the Ministry of Culture of Colombia (De las Travesuras y Percances del Amor), Music of Changes (Y la brisa trae aroma de cadmia), the Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts in Philadelphia (Oleajes), Colombia's Luis Angel Arango Recital Hall/Banco de la República (Entre Arrullos y Madrigales), Office of Academic Affairs of Hostos Community College (Dulzuras) and consecutive ASCAP awards (1998–2008).