Nilo Alcala

Nilo Alcala’s compositions and arrangements have been performed in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. He is the first Philippine-born composer to receive the prestigious Aaron Copland House Residency Award (2017), as well as be commissioned and premiered by the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale at the Disney Concert Hall.

Alcala’s awards also include the POLYPHONOS Young Composer Award from The Esoterics (Seattle, WA), the 2nd Prize Asian Composers League Young Composer Award (Israel), and Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honor) from the Philippine President. His commissions include the National Music Competition for Young Artists; Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival; Korean Ministry of Culture; Asia-Europe Foundation; and two premieres by the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra.

Alcala was composer-in-residence of the Philippine Madrigal Singers (UNESCO Artist for Peace) which premiered his works in international competitions such as the Florilege Vocal de Tours (France); the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (Italy); and events including the American Choral Directors Association National Conference (Dallas, TX); the 9th World Symposium on Choral Music (Argentina); and America Cantat 7 (Colombia).

An Asian Cultural Council grantee, Alcala is also a Billy Joel Fellow at Syracuse University where he earned an MMus in Composition and received the Irene L. Crocker Music Award. He holds a BM in Composition at the University of the Philippines, graduating Magna cum laude.

A versatile composer, Alcala also composes for visual media and has received film music nominations and awards in the Philippines. He recently scored “Candlestick Park: The Beatles’ Last Ticketed Concert”—a promotional short for Ron Howard’s Grammy-winning film “The Beatles: Eighth Days A Week.” Alcala is currently music director of Club Six Studios, a Silicon Valley-based mobile video game company.