Staff & faculty

The “stirring” (New York Times) and “intoxicating” (Philadelphia Inquirer) 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. 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 has collaborated with 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, Del Sol String Quartet, Boston New Music Initiative, and jazz/folk duo Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz. Most recently, Berko was selected as the winner of the 2019 American Prize in Choral Music and recently won a Regional EMMY ® for his work with the Lebron James Family Foundation. His work has also received national recognition from the Society of Composers, Inc. (SCI), American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and the Cleveland Institute of Music. 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.

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’s 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, and Edmund Battersby (piano).

www.alexberko.com

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