Hailing from Texas, Austin Ali (b. 1997) is a composer, trumpeter, and arranger based in Los Angeles, California. An insatiably curious person, he strives to inspire wonder through his music. From complex-meter jazz to spacey orchestral scores, he seeks to compose infectiously fun and unforgettable music.
 
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, Tampa Bay Symphony, Columbus Symphony, and Orchestra Senzaspine. His chamber compositions have been premiered by Spanish Brass, Carpe Diem String Quartet, New Thread Quartet, Aperture Duo, Sonos Quartet, Reedplay Reed Quintet, 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, 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, the New England Philharmonic, Salastina, the Diotima Quartet, and Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini.
 
Austin has performed as a professional recording artist in Los Angeles, an active chamber musician with Good Time Brass appearing monthly at Ronald Reagan Medical Center, a bandmember, soloist, and conductor. Austin recently conducted his composition for large brass ensemble, Ode to Friendship, a commission by the Los Angeles Brass Alliance in February 2024. He looks forward to picking up the baton again for a premiere of a new brass fanfare on June 9^th, 2024 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 an orchestrator on a feature film premiering on Hulu in February 2024. His original film scores premiered at Regal Cinemas @ LA Live in 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, and 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. Additionally, Austin serves as a mentor at YOLA: Harmony Project, LA’s largest music education organization dedicated exclusively to youth from low-income facilities 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. (ABD) from University of California, Los Angeles. Austin’s primary composition mentors include GRAMMY-winning composer Richard Danielpour, Ian Krouse, Donald Grantham, Yevgeniy Sharlat, Russell Podgorsek, John Mills, and Derrick Skye. He is a member of the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC), Broadcast Music International (BMI), and the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL).