Austin
Ali
–Satisfied bass trombone player
An insatiably curious person, I am in pursuit of music that blows people’s minds. From complex meter jazz, to space opera film scores, I seek to compose infectiously fun, unforgettable music.
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First Movement of Symphony No. 1: Symphony of the Sun by Austin Ali
TOTALITY
The sun and the moon appear the same size in the sky by mere coincidence—the moon happens to be 400 times closer to the earth than the sun, and the sun happens to be 400 times larger than the moon. This astronomical pairing leads to a unique celestial event for lucky observers on earth: the total solar eclipse. In my own personal journey learning about the universe, the next total solar eclipse holds special meaning for me. On April 8th, 2024, the shadow of the moon will pass directly over my childhood home of Dallas, Texas, inspiring me to compose this personal composition.
Totality, the first movement of my Symphony of the Sun, explores the total solar eclipse musically, oscillating between night music and day music. Eventually, when the moon swallows the sun whole and descends noontime into nighttime, the piece reaches two peaks, one dark and sinister, and the other hopeful and triumphant. Totality is a deeply personal expression of my wonder for the natural world and desire to connect with the astronomical coincidence of the sun, the moon, and my place on this planet.
Austin Ali
Composer
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Description
Second Movement of Symphony No. 1: Symphony of the Sun by Austin Ali
II. UNVEILING LIGHT
Following the moment of totality is the primal fear that the sun will never return. Various human cultures have been documented believing the sun had died during the eclipse and became reborn. Unveiling Light explores the rebirth of the sun, venturing into the darkness and ultimately revealing the brightest light.
I composed the first draft of Unveiling Light the month immediately before the Total Solar Eclipse of April 8th, 2024. In that month, I constantly fixated on the idea of returning home and experiencing this incredible event. Therefore, my yearning for home also finds itself in Unveiling Light. The piece represents the journey from uncertainty to revelation—much like the ancient humans wondering if the sun will ever return. So, the piece is about the sun returning to Earth, but also me returning home.
Musically, the composition reflects the revealing of light and the journey home. The main motifs include a rhythmic Austin-ato driving the piece and a triumphant series of leaping melodies. The harmonies, inspired by the Harmonic Series, reflect the prism of the sun’s light, revealing the spectrum of sunlight in full color. Further movements will explore these concepts to their conclusion.
Austin Ali
Composer
Dates
Recent Highlights
Description
Saturday, February 24, 2024 8:00 PM 10:00 PM
Good Shepherd-Faith Church152 West 66th StreetNew York, NY, 10023United States (map)
Join NCO for an evening of new music by today’s composers led by today’s conductors!
Austin Ali The Beginner's Guide to Space Travel
Joris van der Herten A Rabid Rose
Hilary Purrington Daylights
Roydon Tse Jest
Henryk Górecki Symphony 3, Mvt. II featuring soprano Sydney Kucine
Charles Ives, Symphony No. 3 in B-flat Major, "The Camp Meeting"
Conducted by Rebecca Bryant Novak, John Gennaro Devlin, and Mark Powell
Posted In: 2023-2024
Austin Ali
Composer
Dates
Description
Alexander Boldachev is a virtuoso-harpist, composer, exclusive artist of Italian harp house Salvi Harps, initiator of the World Harp Day, founder of the Zurich Harp Festival, co-founder of community “LYUDẎ”. Laureate of more than a dozen prestigious international competitions, including composing competitions; awarded by the “Britain's Brilliant Prodigies”, “Aoyama Music Award” in Kyoto, “Pro Europa” in Austria, presented by Heinz Fischer for high achievements in the field of culture; Fellow of the international foundations Vontobel in Switzerland and Banque Populaire in France, as well as the Russian foundations for the development of young musicians Spivakov, Temirkanov, the Rotary Club and Houses of Music that gave a start to his career. Laureate of the Prix Walo television award in Switzerland.
Plays the harp, piano and writes music from the age of five. Travels with solo concerts around the world, leads master classes at such educational institutions as the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Juilliard School in New York, Royal Academy in London, Ferenc Liszt Academy in Budapest. In 2018, wrote and performed an electronic harp solo at the FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony, sharing the stage with Robbie Williams and Aida Garifullina. Performs in such world halls as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Hall of Gaveau in Paris, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Great Hall of the Philharmonic in St. Petersburg, and others, both with solo concerts and in collaboration with many European and Russian orchestras.
Alexander Boldachev is a participant of the festivals Burning Man, Musical Olympus, New Names, Mozart+, Davos and Gstaad in Switzerland, Big Russian Ball in Rome, Bravo Award, SKIF Sergey Kuroyokhin, Burberry and D&G shows, projects of The Moscow and St. Petersburg Houses of Music.
Austin Ali
Composer
Dates
Description
Premiere of Defiant Overture
Austin Ali
Composer
Dates
Austin Ali
Composer
Dates
Jeremy Howell
Saxophonist/Composer
Dates
Tags
Description
Spring 2023 “Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique”
Defiant Overture – Austin Ali (6th Annual International Composition Competition Winner)
Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102 – Elisabeth Thomashoff, Piano (Jack Heller Young Artist Competition Winner)
Symphony No. 6 in B-minor, Opus 74 “Pathétique” – Tchaikovsky
Sunday, Apr 30, 2023 – 2:30 pm
Ferguson Hall, Straz Center
Tampa
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 – 8 pm
Palladium Theater
St. Petersburg
Austin Ali
Composer
Dates
Description
Your Columbus Symphony Orchestra: 100 Years of Great Music
June 4, 3:30 PM
The Commons, 300 Washington St. Columbus, IN
Join Josh Aerie for his last concert as CSO Music Director and celebrate your Orchestra’s centennial legacy in this final performance of the anniversary season. Enjoy a diverse soundscape of groundbreaking American and European music, including brand new music by the winner of the second annual CSO Composition Competition and a musical farewell to Maestro Aerie in Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.
Austin Ali
Composer
Dates
Description
June 24th, 2023, 7:30pm, Monastery of St. Augustine, Siena, Italy
Austin Ali
Composer
Dates
Biography
“Austin Ali understands the point of the bass trombone. This’ll be fun.”
–Satisfied bass trombone player
Hailing from Texas, Austin Ali is a composer, trumpeter, and arranger based in Los Angeles, California. An insatiably curious person, he strives to inspire wonder through his music. From complex-meter jazz to spacey orchestral scores, he seeks to compose infectiously fun and unforgettable music.
Austin has premiered his works with many distinguished artists such as GRAMMY-winning soprano Hilá Plitmann and a growing number of orchestras around the world including the Austin Symphony, New Conductor’s Orchestra, Tampa Bay Symphony, Columbus Symphony, and Orchestra Senzaspine. Upcoming collaborators include virtuoso-harpist Alexander Boldachev, the New England Philharmonic, and Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini.
Austin’s performance and compositions have been showcased at multiple festivals across the globe including TEDx (2018) in Texas, Primavera Chigiana (2022 and 2023) in Italy, Atlantic Music Festival (2018) in Maine, IGA International Jazz Festival (2017 and 2024) in Guatemala, and CCCN International Jazz Festival (2017) in Costa Rica. Highlights include performing for the President of Costa Rica and opening for Stevie Wonder at Circuit of the Americas.
A Hollywood transplant and cross-genre collaborator, Austin quickly became involved in the film scoring scene in LA, with his most recent work as an orchestrator on a feature film premiering on Hulu in February 2024. His classical, pop, and jazz arrangements for Big Wy’s Brass Band, Trombone Timo, and Christopher Bill have amassed millions of views on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
An avid arts advocate, Austin serves as Vice President and Composer-in-Residence of the Los Angeles Inception Orchestra, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing accessible mentoring to young student composers. Additionally, Austin serves as a mentor at Harmony Project, LA’s largest music education organization dedicated exclusively to youth from low-income facilities and under-resourced communities.
Austin holds his B.A. and B.M. from the University of Texas at Austin and his M.A. and Ph.D. (ABD) from University of California, Los Angeles. Austin’s primary composition mentors include GRAMMY-winning composer Richard Danielpour, Ian Krouse, Donald Grantham, Yevgeniy Sharlat, Russell Podgorsek, and John Mills. He is a member of the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC), Broadcast Music International (BMI), and the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL).
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