A few months ago we did a short interview with Alistair Coleman, and had a wonderful time getting to know this young composer. We were even more thrilled to learn he received a coveted spot on From the Top, the “nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating the stories, talents, and character of young classically-trained musicians.” In his radio spot, Coleman takes us on his journey from beginning piano lessons, to composing a musical, to finding his first composition teacher. The show also includes his piece, Images from Fallingwater, performed by students of the San Francisco Conservatory.
Alistair Coleman is a young composer from Washington, DC. Most recently, he was appointed the Composer-in-Residence of the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale. His piece, “Of Radiance and Light,” was commissioned by the National Philharmonic and premiered at Strathmore Hall in November 2016. His music has been programmed broadly, including performances by the Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra, Houston Brass Band, Boston University Marsh Chapel Choir, Takoma String Ensemble, and the Cathedral Choral Society.
With three published works, Alistair is the youngest composer ever published by E. C. Schirmer. He has received awards from the American Composers Forum, National YoungArts Foundation, Symphony Number One, and NAfME. He received an honorable mention in the 2017 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards.
Alistair has studied composition at the Atlantic Music Festival, Curtis Young Artists Summer Program, Oberlin Summer Composition Workshop, and the New York Summer Music Festival. He currently studies with Richard Danielpour and David Ludwig, faculty members at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In the fall of 2017, Alistair will begin undergraduate studies at The Juilliard School.
In Tune blog 