Hailing from Texas, Austin Ali (b. 1997) is a composer, trumpeter, and educator based in Los Angeles, California. An insatiably curious person, he strives to share the wonder of nature and the cosmos with his audience. His music bridges jazz, contemporary classical, and transcultural influences to create a fresh and deeply personal world of sound.
Austin has premiered his works with many distinguished soloists including GRAMMY-winning soprano Hilá Plitmann, pianist Stefano Greco, trombonist Christopher Bill, and a growing number of orchestras around the world including the Austin Symphony, New Conductor’s Orchestra (New York City), Tampa Bay Symphony, Columbus Symphony Orchestra Indiana, the New England Philharmonic, Orchestra Senzaspine, Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, and the Plant Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center. His chamber compositions have been premiered by Spanish Brass, Carpe Diem String Quartet, New Thread Quartet, Aperture Duo, Sonos Quartet, Reedplay Reed Quintet, Salastina, Diotima Quartet, Bridge to Everywhere, and musicians of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. An accomplished trumpeter, Austin has written several works for winds and brass, including ensembles such as the University of Texas Wind Ensemble, University of Texas Wind Symphony, Pepperdine Wind Ensemble, UCLA Symphonic Band, Fivemind Reeds, University of Texas Trombone Choir, DC Trombone Workshop Trombone Choir, and Los Angeles Brass Alliance. Recent collaborators include virtuoso-harpist Alexander Boldachev, Classical Sax Project, and electroacoustic saxophone artist Joseph S. Lyons.
Austin has performed as a professional recording artist on trumpet, an active chamber musician with Good Time Brass, a bandmember with the Natural Supernatural, and as a soloist and conductor. Austin conducted his composition for large brass ensemble, Ode to Friendship, a commission by the Los Angeles Brass Alliance in February 2024, and the world premiere of Symphony of the Sun, I. “Totality” on May 13th, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA. Austin’s performances and compositions have been showcased at multiple festivals across the globe including TEDx (2018) in Texas, Primavera Chigiana (2022, 2023, and 2024) in Italy, Atlantic Music Festival (2018) in Maine, IGA International Jazz Festival (2017 and 2024) in Guatemala, and CCCN International Jazz Festival (2017) in Costa Rica. Highlights include performing for the President of Costa Rica and opening for Stevie Wonder at Circuit of the Americas.
A Hollywood transplant, Austin quickly became involved in the film music scene in LA, with his most recent work as assistant, orchestrator, music producer, and mixer on the feature-length film Sacred Soil, which premiered on Hulu in February 2024. His original film scores premiered at Regal Cinemas @ LA Live in 2022, 2023, and 2024, receiving a nomination for Best Score at the 48 Hour Film Festival in Los Angeles. Since age 15, Austin has proclaimed to his friends he “plans on scoring Star Wars Episode 15,” so if you know of any job openings, please reach out to him.
As a cross-genre collaborator, Austin’s classical, pop, and jazz arrangements for Big Wy’s Brass Band, Trombone Timo, and Christopher Bill have amassed millions of views on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. His jazz works have been performed by the Flight 584 Big Band, University of Texas Jazz Orchestra, AIME Ensemble, Municipalidad de Guatemala Big Band, Big Wy’s Brass Band, and Rowdy Jazz Collective.
An avid arts advocate, Austin serves as Vice President and Composer-in-Residence of the Los Angeles Inception Orchestra, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing accessible mentoring to young student composers. He is also a Composer Teaching Artist Fellow with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, Austin serves as a mentor at Harmony Project and Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA at HOLA), music education organizations dedicated exclusively to youth from low-income families and under-resourced communities.
Austin holds his B.A. and B.M. from the University of Texas at Austin and his M.A. and Ph.D. from University of California, Los Angeles. He taught at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music from 2021 to 2025, three years of it as Instructor of Record. Austin’s primary composition mentors include GRAMMY-winning composer Richard Danielpour, Ian Krouse, Donald Grantham, Yevgeniy Sharlat, Russell Podgorsek, John Mills, and Derrick Skye.