Marcos Balter

The music of composer Marcos Balter (b.1974, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has been described as "vital, imaginative, (...) surrealistic" [New York Times], "a virtuosic equilibrium of colliding particles (with) both intricate clarity and convincing trajectory" [Boston Globe], and "utterly lovely" [Chicago Tribune]. His works have been championed by many of today's most prestigious and adventurous new music ensembles, performers, and organizations such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's MusicNow and Harvard University's Fromm Concert Series in venues such as the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, E-Werk Freiburg, Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires, Le Poisson Rouge, Harris Theater, and the Chicago Millennium Park. Past awards and honors include the Leonard Bernstein Fellowship at the 2005 Tanglewood Music Center, commissions from the 2008 HAMS International Violin Competition and Boston’s New Gallery Series, as well as first prizes at several national and international composition competitions.

He completed his doctoral studies in music composition at Northwestern University, graduating with departmental honors. His main composition teachers were Augusta Read Thomas, Amy Williams, and Jay Alan Yim. He has also taken lessons in festivals and master classes in Europe and North America with Louis Andriessen, George Benjamin, Pierre Boulez, Oliver Knussen, Christian Lauba, Tristan Murail, Enno Poppe, Bernard Rands, Wolfgang Rihm, and Kaija Saariaho, among others. Having previously taught at the University of Pittsburgh, Northwestern University, and Lawrence University, he is currently the Director of the Music Composition program at Columbia College Chicago. For more information and sound samples, please visit the composer's official website at www.marcosbalter.com.