composer, teacher and pianist
about
As an active composer, teacher and pianist, Alex has been on the musical path for more than 25 years. His commissions have been performed by globally remarkable artists, including Spektral Quartet, Nathalie Joachim, Xiang Gao, 6-wire, and Steve Lippia. Alex was one of the composers of the collaborative opera Waulking in the Glen, which was recognized as a SEMI-FINALIST in the 2018-19 opera/theater/film/dance student division of the American Prize in Composition.
Alex is an experienced composer in cutting edge audio/video technology and commercial music for the ever-changing music industry. Most notable recent commissions include a soundtrack composition for a documentary by Crescent Films Productions, music arrangements for the East-West fusion ensemble 6-wire, and a series of nature symphonies for National Parks music films by the award-winning University of Delaware Master Players Concert Series. His commissions, which have a variety of genres including classical, Chinese folk music, world, popular, and jazz, have been performed internationally by established musicians and artists.
His unique multilingual/cultural background allowed him to craft a compositional and stylistic realm in which color, texture and character combine into harmonious sounds.
Dr. Bi’s instructors in composition have included Dr. Mark Wilson, Dr. Jennifer Margaret Barker, Dr. Liqiang Dong, and Prof. Xiaogang Ye. He has participated in master's classes and workshops with Prof. Bright Sheng, Caroline Shaw, Dr. Robert Patterson, and Dr. Joseph Vella, to name a few.
Alex also served the department as the artistic director at the University of Maryland, he independently initiated, planned, and implemented the concert series for TEMPO, an ensemble dedicated to connecting composers, performers, and audiences of new music.
educational background
Mr. Bi’s interaction with music started when he was 4 years old. He completed his middle school education at the Affiliated Music School of Xinghai Conservatory of Music, and his high school education at the Affiliated High School of China Conservatory of Music, majoring in music composition at both institutions.
Through years of endeavors, Alex was admitted by the Central Conservatory of Music, the best music conservatory in China and one of the leading music institutes worldwide.
After getting his bachelor’s degree, he moved to the U.S. with the hope of diversifying his musical language. He obtained a master’s degree in composition from the University of Delaware and doctoral degree in composition from the University of Maryland, College Park.