Alexa Canales
Alexa Canales is a composer, pianist, and educator who is deeply interested in explorations of color, rhythm, and texture in her work.
Her compositions have been performed by musicians and ensembles across the United States and in Europe. This includes performances by the Brightwork Ensemble, the Helix! New Music Ensemble, the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra, and the Boston Percussion Group.
She is the recipient of numerous grants and commissions in support of her work. Recent commissions include the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra and the Impulse New Music Festival, where she was a fellow. The Wellesley Symphony Orchestra commissioned her to write an orchestral work in honor of conductor Max Hobart’s retirement after 28 years of serving as Music Director.
She has participated in various summer music festivals and programs including the New York New Music Intensive, highSCORE, and the Atlantic Music Festival. This spring and summer 2024, Canales will be participating in the LunART Festival (Madison, WI) as a member of the 2024 Composers Hub Cohort and the Impulse New Music Festival (Los Angeles, CA) as a Brightwork Fellow. The festivals will also feature premieres of her new works for solo piano and pierrot ensemble.
Canales holds degrees from Rutgers University (PhD and MA in music composition) and Boston College (BA) where she studied composition with Robert Aldridge, Tarik O’Regan, Steven Kemper, and Thomas Oboe Lee.
Through Your Eyes, Movement I
Composed 2020-2021 – Violin, Cello, Piano
From the composer: “‘Through Your Eyes’ is a very personal work with deep emotional meaning to me. Several years ago I went through a period of time where I was not writing much music. Then in early 2020, I had a realization — I decided to let go of whatever pressures I felt regarding my music-making and just write something that felt true and real to me. The result was this piece — a work that I feel is representative of who I am as a composer. This movement in particular was significant in helping me reconnect with my understanding and commitment to what I want to express in my music. Additionally, while I do have a recording — the piece has yet to receive a public performance/premiere.“
See Through Your Eyes, Movement I
in Performance
