Gala Flagello

Gala Flagello
Born	1994 (age 30–31) Westwood, New Jersey
Occupation	Composer
Website	www.galaflagello.com

Gala Flagello (born 1994), is an American composer, educator, and nonprofit director. Her contemporary classical music focuses on collaborations with ensembles, performers, and organizations, with music written for orchestra, wind ensemble, and choir to chamber music and solos for nearly every instrument. Flagello also teaches at the University of Michigan ^[1] and is the Festival Director and co-founder of the contemporary music festival, Connecticut Summerfest. ^{[2] [3]}

Gala Flagello was born in Westwood, New Jersey, and began her musical training on piano and then continued on the French horn. She attended the Hartt School, where she received a Bachelor of Music in Composition. Flagello continued her studies at the University of Michigan, where she earned both a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition. Her grandfather was composer-conductor Nicolas Flagello (1928-1994).

Career

Flagello's music has been featured worldwide, with performances by notable ensembles including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, ^[4] Detroit Symphony Orchestra, ^[5] Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, ^[6] the United States "President's Own" Marine Band, ^[7] Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, ^[8] La Jolla Symphony Orchestra, ^[9] Santa Fe Symphony, ^[10] and DuPage Symphony Orchestra, ^[11] among others. ^[12] Her music has been reviewed in multiple news outlets, including the Cleveland Classical, which described her music as "at times endearingly whimsical, at times ominous, but always moving" ^[13] and The Delaware Gazette, who wrote Flagello's Bravado "is a "killer" in more ways than one. Although very brief, the audacious and/or reckless work is a wild, jumpy ride that would not be easy to master even for the best orchestras." ^[14]

She won the 2024 Barlow Foundation General Commission Award, which will support the creation of a new work for the Thalea String Quartet and her work The Bird-While was a finalist for the 2024 ABA Ostwald Award. Flagello's music has also been featured at music conferences around the country, including the 2025 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Conference, ^[15] 2025 North Carolina Music Educators Association (NCMEA) Conference, ^[16] and 2023 and 2024 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. ^{[17] [18] [19]}

Flagello received composition fellowships at multiple music festivals, including Tanglewood Music Center in 2023, the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music in 2022-2023, and the Aspen Music Festival in 2022. ^[20]

Compositions

Large Ensembles

Orchestra

• Droughts and Downpours, for string orchestra (2025) ^{[note 1]}
• Fearless, for chamber orchestra, mixed choir, and opt. electronics (2024)
• Everything Beautiful (2024)
• Persist, for two trumpets and chamber orchestra (2024) ^{[note 2]}
• Bravado (2023)
• Vitality (2022)
• Persist, for two sopranos and chamber orchestra (2020)

Wind Band

• The Bird-While, concerto for woodwind quintet and symphonic winds (2024) ^{[note 3]}
• Love & Nature (2024)
• Bravado (2023) ^{[note 4]}
• Vitality (2023) ^{[note 5]}
• The Bird-While, concerto for solo flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and symphonic winds (2022), finalist for the 2024 ABA Ostwald Award

Chamber Winds

• Modern Legacy, for large chamber winds (2025)
• Self-Talk, for chamber winds (2024) ^{[note 6]}

Choir

• Mountain Song, for two-part chorus and piano (2025)
• Fearless, for chamber orchestra, mixed chorus, and opt. electronics (2024)
• Flower Chant, for treble choir (2023)
• Watch Me, for low voice choir (2023)
• Ask the Orange, for SATB choir (2022), won second place for the Institute for Choral Creativity 2024 Composition Competition Prize
• Anonymous Woman, for SSAATTBB choir (2022)
• I Could Fall, for treble choir or three treble voices (2016)
• The Parting Glass, for SATB choir (2014)
• Snow Whispers, for SSAATTBB choir (2013)

Chamber Music

Brass

• Watch Me, for brass ensemble (2025) ^{[note 7]}
• I Could Fall, for brass ensemble (2025) ^{[note 8]}
• The Parting Glass, for brass ensemble (2025) or horn choir (2022) ^{[note 9]}
• Monochrome Metronome, for brass quintet (2025)
• Embers, for tuba and piano (2025)
• Smoke and Mirrors, for horn and piano (2024) ^{[note 10]}
• Flutter, for tenor saxophone and horn (2024)
• Until My Last Breath, for horn soloist with horn sextet (2023)
• Memory Home, for tenor trombone and piano (2023)
• Where the Boats Go, for horn and piano (2022)
• A Crab, A Quill, for trumpet and piano (2021) ^{[note 11]}
• Comments by Computers, arrangement for trombone and piano (2021)
• Shadow Song, for horn and trombone (2020)
• To See a World in a Grain of Sand, for trumpet and horn (2017)
• Duet, for horn and alpine horn (2016)
• Dear Johanna, for trumpet and alto saxophone (2016) or trumpet and English horn (2025)
• Bizarre Barbershop, for horn quartet (2015)

Woodwinds

• Flutter, for tenor saxophone and horn (2024)
• Smoke and Mirrors, for tenor saxophone and piano (2024)
• Burn as Brightly, for soprano saxophone and alto saxophone (2024) ^{[note 12]}
• Red Giant, for SATB or AATB saxophone quartet (2023)
• Asphodel, for flute and clarinet (2023) or two soprano saxophones (2024)
• Sweet Nothings, for alto saxophone and piano (2023)
• What the Trees Know, for oboe, cello, and marimba (2023)
• How Vast, for tenor voice, Pierrot ensemble, and percussion (2022)
• Outer Voices, for soprano saxophone and piano (2022)
• Miss Minutes, micro-concerto for percussion with flute, clarinet, piano, and string quartet (2022), winner of the 2024 Local 4 Music Fund's SheScores competition
• Candlewood, for soprano saxophone and piano (2021)
• Mother Time, Father Nature, for bassoon and piano (2021)
• Breathing Light, for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello (2021)
• Matriarch, for wind quintet (2020)
• Burning Day, for two alto saxophones (2019)
• Chloe Summers, for soprano voice and alto saxophone (2019)
• Dabble, for saxophone quartet (2019) or clarinet quartet (2025)
• Enough, for violin, bassoon, piano, and percussion (2018)
• Self-Talk, for reed quintet (2018)
• All Lines From Lead To, for two flutes (2016)
• Dear Johanna, for trumpet and alto saxophone (2016) or trumpet and English horn (2025)
• Citrine, for clarinet and ukulele (2014)

Strings

• Droughts and Downpours, for bass septet (2024)
• Burn as Brightly, for violin and cello (2023) or two violas (2024)
• Wishes and Warnings, for violin and viola (2023)
• What the Trees Know, for oboe, cello, and marimba (2023)
• E Pluribus Unum, for violin and viola (2023)
• How Vast, for tenor voice, Pierrot ensemble, and percussion (2022)
• Miss Minutes, micro-concerto for percussion with flute, clarinet, piano, and string quartet (2022)
• Breathing Light, for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello (2021)
• Burning Day, for violin and viola (2021) ^{[note 13]}
• Enough, for violin, bassoon, piano, and percussion (2018)

Percussion

• What the Trees Know, for oboe, cello, and marimba (2023)
• How Vast, for tenor voice, Pierrot ensemble, and percussion (2022)
• Miss Minutes, micro-concerto for percussion with flute, clarinet, piano, and string quartet (2022)
• Enough, for violin, bassoon, piano, and percussion (2018)

Voice

• New Pledge of Allegiance, for mezzo-soprano and piano (2022)
• Caro mio ben, arrangement for high voice and piano (2022)
• The New Colossus Songs, for mezzo-soprano and piano (2021)
• Chloe Summers, for soprano voice and alto saxophone (2019)
• I Could Fall, for treble choir or three treble voices (2016)
• Comments by Computers, for high voice and piano (2016)
• If I, for soprano and piano (2015)

Open Instrumentation

• Graphic Climate (2023)
• Seasons (2016, rev. 2017)

Solos

• Moon Dream, for soprano saxophone or horn (2020, 2022)
• Shadow Land, for cello (2020)
• Interferences, for piano (2020)
• Fragile Goods, for percussion (2019)
• Precious Metals, for percussion (2019)
• Speak, for percussion (2019)
• Prophecy, for horn or alto saxophone (2018, 2019)
• Fake Smile, for alto saxophone or flute (2016, 2020)
• Where You Are Now, for bassoon (2019)
• See What You Do, for flute (2017)

Discography

Albums

Title	Performer	Year	Record label	Included composition(s)
Shapes in Collective Space	Tallā Rouge	2024	Bright Shiny Things	Burn as Brightly
&Violin	Matt Albert, violin; Kirsten Docter, viola	2024	Sly Pup Productions	E Pluribus Unum
Shades	Jeff Siegfried, soprano saxophone; Sean Friar, piano	2024	Ravello Records	Candlewood
Room to Breathe	Joseph Swift, bassoon; Calvin Hu, piano	2023	Joseph Swift	Mother Time, Father Nature
Red Leaf Collection	Vanguard Reed Quintet	2020	Vanguard Reed Quintet	Self-Talk

Notes

1. Adapted from original bass septet version. Adapted by the composer.
2. Adapted from the original version for two sopranos and chamber orchestra. Adapted by the composer.
3. Arranged from the original version for solo flute, clarinet, violin, and cello. Adapted by the composer.
4. Arranged from the original version for orchestra. Adapted by the composer.
5. Arranged from the original version for orchestra. Adapted by the composer.
6. Arranged from the original version for reed quintet. Adapted by the composer.
7. Arranged from the original version for choir. Adapted by the composer.
8. Arranged from the original version for choir. Adapted by the composer.
9. Arranged from the original version for choir. Adapted by the composer.
10. Arranged from the original version for tenor saxophone. Adapted by the composer.
11. Arranged by the composer for trombone and piano (2022), euphonium and piano (2023), horn and piano (2023), and tuba and piano (2023)
12. Arranged from the original version for violin and cello. Adapted by the composer.
13. Arranged from the original version for two alto saxophones. Adapted by the composer.

References

1. "Gala Flagello". University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
2. "Connecticut Summerfest". Connecticut Summerfest. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
3. Arnott, Christopher (2024-06-02). "Summer music". Hartford Courant. pp.  E001 E003 . Retrieved 2025-05-14.
4. "Performances of Gala Flagello at BBC Symphony Orchestra - BBC Symphony Orchestra - BBC". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
5. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
6. "Mendelssohn Violin Concerto". Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
7. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
8. "Timeless Passage". Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
9. "La Jolla Symphony & Chorus". California Festival. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
10. Mexican, Mark Tiarks | For The New (2024-02-16). "A study in Americana contrasts". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
11. "DuPage Symphony Orchestra Unveils Spectacular 70th Anniversary Season at Wentz Concert Hall - DuPage Symphony Orchestra". 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
12. "EVENTS". Gala Flagello. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
13. Newman, Max (2024-06-04). "She Scores: a night of musical excellence and importance (May 31)". Cleveland Classical. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
14. Gazette, Delaware (2025-04-26). "Symphony presents Nordic program". Delaware Gazette. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
15. "University of Tennessee-Knoxville". 2025 CBDNA National Conference - TCU - Ft. Worth, TX. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
16. "Overview – North Carolina Music Educators Association" . Retrieved 2025-05-14.
17. "Midwest Clinic Performing Organizations - The..." Midwest Clinic. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
18. "Midwest Clinic 2024 International Band and Orchestra Conference: The United States Coast Guard Band 7:30 Concert". lsc-pagepro.mydigitalpublication.comhttps. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
19. "Midwest Clinic Performing Organizations - You..." Midwest Clinic. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
20. "ICEBERG New Music - Call for Scores". iceberg. Retrieved 2025-05-14.

Further reading and listening

• Fakhouri, Fouad (April 4, 2025). "Timeless Passage." Behind the Music Podcast.
• Relative Pitch (November 20, 2024). "Season 5, Episode 9: All the Voices in the Conversation with Gala Flagello." Relative Pitch Podcast.
• NBC Connecticut CT LIVE! (June 19, 2024). "NBC Connecticut CT LIVE! Interview with Gala Flagello - Connecticut Summerfest's 9th Season"
• University of Michigan EXCEL Log (March 4, 2024). "Successful Failures: 2 Tales of Artistic Expectation."
• Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music (October 3, 2023). "Unstuck: An Epic for Artists."
• Interview with Chris Mohr, Aspen Public Radio, and Piotr Waclawik, conductor (August 2, 2022). "On the vital dance between a current composer and conductor." Aspen Public Radio.
• Diversify the Stand (May 19, 2021). "Episode 16: Gala Flagello." Diversify the Stand Podcast
• Stolyarov, Andrey (February 4, 2021). "Composer Spotlight - Gala Flagello." Andrey Stolyarov YouTube.
• Miller, David Allen (September 20, 2020). "Getting to Know Persist with Gala Flagello and David Alan Miller." Albany Symphony Orchestra YouTube.

External links

• Official website