Spencer Arias (b.1990) is a composer, improviser, and educator based in Michigan who creates people-centered music based on shared and contrary experiences focusing on themes of social, political, and environmental changes. They believe that community should be put at the center of music and art and should not live within a hierarchy. The composer, performer, conductor, and audience do not have any more or less to offer, and all these spheres are essential to creating new and old music. At the center of this are questions of identity, with a particular interest in Queerness, Gender, and Inclusivity. They have had performances throughout the US and Europe, having been performed by musicians such as the JACK Quartet, The Columbus Symphony Woodwind Quintet, Quartetto Indaco, the Rogue Trio, The Lotus Trio, The New Thread Quartet, PRISM Saxophone, Quartet, and Nick Photinos. They have won numerous awards, including the Music Now Competition, The Jere Hutcherson Large Ensemble Competition, and the Most Inspirational Performance Art Award at the 2020 Michigan State University Social Justice Art Festival. Spencer recently finished their Doctorate in Music Composition at Michigan State University, where they studied primarily with David Biedenbender, Alexis Bacon, and Lyn Goeringer.
For more info visit spencerarias.com
Spencers work is published exclusively with https://www.justatheorypress.com