The “stirring” (New York Times) and “intoxicating” (Philadelphia Inquirer) music of American composer Alex Berko (b. 1995) is characterized by a balance of intimacy and power, a keen sense of lyricism and emotional sensitivity, and a love of narrative. Berko’s music often poses questions about our personal environments and relationships to one another, and he is interested in weaving listeners through intimate stories and perspectives with universal values.

Berko’s music has been widely performed throughout the U.S. and abroad by orchestras, choirs, and chamber ensembles. His recent collaborators include the Monterey Symphony, Cape Symphony, Plymouth Philharmonic, Bloomington Symphony, Donald Nally, The Crossing, Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare, NOTUS Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, Cathedral Choral Society and the Washington National Cathedral, Miró Quartet, Del Sol String Quartet, Boston New Music Initiative, Arabic/jazz artist Nai Barghouti and jazz/folk duo Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz. 

Berko has received two consecutive ASCAP Morton Gould Awards for his orchestra and choral music (2022/2021). Another recent project in collaboration with composer Daniel Bayot and the Lebron James Family Foundation landed Berko a regional EMMY ® for his music. His work has also received national recognition from the Society of Composers, Inc. (SCI/ASCAP commission), The American Prize (Choral Music Division), American Choral Directors Association (Brock Memorial Prize), DownBeat Magazine (Best Arrangement), Rice University, (Paul and Christiane Cooper Prize), and Cleveland Institute of Music (Carl E. Baldassarre Composer/Performer Award). Additionally, he has held fellowships or residencies at Big Sky Choral Initiative, RED NOTE New Music Festival, Atlantic Music Festival, Glen Deven Ranch in Big Sur, California Summer Music, and NYU/ASCAP Film Scoring Institute. He is currently the composer-in-residence with Luzerne Music Center (NY). 

Berko’s Lincoln was included on The Crossing’s album, Rising w/ The Crossing released by New Focus Records. The album was met with critical acclaim: It was nominated for a 2022 GRAMMY ® for Best Choral Performance and was included in The 25 Best Classical Music Tracks of 2020 by the New York Times and NPR’s A Diary Of Classical Albums For A Troubled 2020.

Berko holds a MM in composition from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music where he was a Brown Fellow. He received his BM in composition, an outside concentration in piano, and a certificate in entrepreneurship from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Originally from Cleveland, Berko received extensive training at the Cleveland Institute of Music preparatory division. He is a student of Anthony Brandt, Pierre Jalbert, Karim Al-Zand, David Dzubay, Claude Baker, Aaron Travers, Don Freund, Keith Fitch, Stephen Stanziano (composition) and Jean-Louis Haguenauer, Edmund Battersby, and Sandra Shapiro (piano).

Berko currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his partner, Laura and his puppy, Riley.