She began her musical studies at National Conservatory in México City, studying under Mario Lavista, Federico Ibarra, Julio Estrada and Daniel Catán and continued her preparation at Carnegie Mellon University, under Leonardo Balada and Lucas Foss, where she received her Bachelors (1992) and Masters (1995) degrees in Music Composition.
Mariana Villanueva has received the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Award (1999); The MEXICO/USA Rockefeller, FONCA/BANCOMER Prize (1995, 1996); and some other rewards from FONCA (1993, 1997) and Carnegie Mellon University.
She has been written works for the Carnegie Mellon Trio (1993), The Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble (1996); and The Ensamble Cosmopolitano of Berlín (2002).
She also has collaborated for the Carnegie Mellon Drama Department under the direction of stage directors Rina Yerushalmi (La casa de Bernarda Alba, 1990) and Yossy Israeli (Antigone, 1991), and in Mexico for The Ballet del Teatro del Espacio with Gladiola Orozco (El Gran Viaje, 1997).
Currently she teaches music composition at the Centro Morelense de las Artes in Cuernavca, Morelos.