About

The “stirring” (New York Times), “intoxicating” (Philadelphia Inquirer), and “disarmingly beautiful” (Textura) music of American composer Alex Berko is characterized by a balance of intimacy and power, a keen sense of lyricism and emotional sensitivity, and a love of narrative.

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Biography

The “stirring” (New York Times), “intoxicating” (Philadelphia Inquirer), and “disarmingly beautiful” (Textura) 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.

As a composer, Berko has collaborated with leading orchestras, choirs, and chamber ensembles such as the Louisville Orchestra, Monterey Symphony, Cape Symphony, New York Youth Symphony, National Youth Orchestra, The Crossing, Conspirare, Stare at the Sun, Roots in the Sky, Constellation Men’s Ensemble, and the Miró and Del Sol String Quartets among many others. His music has been premiered in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Washington National Cathedral and is frequently programmed throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Berko recently served as composer-in-residence with the Louisville Orchestra as a member of their 2023-2024 Creators Corps. He has previously held fellowships or residencies at Luzerne Music Center, the National Orchestra Institute, the American Festival for the Arts, and Ragdale Foundation.

As an arranger, Berko contributed music to “Kodachrome”, a concert featuring the music of Paul Simon, conducted by Ted Sperling with Broadway vocalists Morgan James and Ryan Shaw. The show was recently performed by the Chicago Symphony at Ravinia Festival and San Diego Symphony at The Rady Shell.

Berko is the recipient of two ASCAP Morton Gould Awards, a regional EMMY® for a project written in collaboration with the Lebron James Family Foundation, and a First Music Commission. He has also received awards from the Society of Composers, Inc., The American Prize, American Choral Directors Association, DownBeat Magazine, Rice University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Berko’s choral music is featured on three GRAMMY®-nominated albums for Best Choral Performance: Conspirare’s House of Belonging, The Crossing’s Carols After a Plague and Rising w/ The Crossing.

Berko holds degrees from Rice University (MM) and Indiana University (BM). His sheet music is available through E.C. Schirmer and Graphite Marketplace and he is commercially released with New Focus Records and Delos Records. Berko currently resides in Chicago, IL with his wife, Laura and their dog, Riley.

Ever since I started composing, my music has seemed to straddle the lines with regard to style, often flirting with various flavors at once. I have always viewed differing styles as various dialects that I can access as a composer in order to accomplish what I am after artistically. Rather than being constricted by the classifications of popular music, jazz, folk, or classical, I view these various genres and influences as palates that I can learn from and use to more fully express myself as a composer.

We are living in a world rich with cross-pollinization and collaboration. We are past the age of the solitary artist and very much in the world of one who co-creates. As it appears to me, some of the most meaningful art in the 21st century thus far has been created through conversation and a continuing dialogue throughout the compositional process with those involved in bringing the new work to life. In my recent experiences, this collaborative aspect has proven to be the most rewarding. 

My recent works have asked questions about human limitations and our responsibility in preserving the truth while simultaneously reacting to the natural beauty of our world. Ultimately, my goal as an artist is to tell relevant stories that encompass all facets of what it means to be human in the world today. It is my hope that the listening of these sonic stories allows you to experience and hear the world a little differently, if not more clearly.

Short Biography

The “stirring” (New York Times), “intoxicating” (Philadelphia Inquirer), and “disarmingly beautiful” (Textura) music of American composer Alex Berko (b. 1995) has been commissioned and performed by the Louisville Orchestra, Monterey Symphony, New York Youth Symphony, The Crossing, Conspirare, Stare at the Sun, Roots in the Sky, Constellation Men’s Ensemble, and the Miró and Del Sol String Quartets among many others. His music has received national recognition from ASCAP, SCI, ACDA, The American Prize, The Television Academy Foundation, Rice University, Cleveland Institute of Music, and more. Berko holds degrees from Rice University (MM) and Indiana University (BM). His music is available through E.C. Schirmer and Graphite Marketplace and commercially released with New Focus and Delos Records.

Berko recently served a resident composer with the Louisville Orchestra as a member of their Creators Corps for the 2023-2024 season.