Photo by Michelle Li
Alex Marthaler is a composer, pianist, and educator based in Pittsburgh, PA. His compositions have garnered praise for their color and translucency, often drawing inspiration from both natural and man-made structures and phenomena. Alex’s musical works seamlessly blend harmonic and rhythmic elements from diverse musical traditions around the world.
In February 2017, Alex collaborated with choreographer Rubén Graciani on “Tethers, Capsules, and Collisions”, a new piece that premiered at Point Park University. The piece has since been performed by the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, NAT 28, and the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Contemporary Ensemble.
As an educator, Alex is an artist lecturer in the CMU School of Music, teaching courses in orchestration, composition, and theory. He is also the director of the CMU School of Music Pre-College program, a renowned summer program catering to high-school musicians from around the world who want to live the life of a music major. Alex is also executive director of the Dalcroze Society of America, a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting the principles of Dalcroze eurhythmics, an innovative method of music education.
As a pianist, Alex specializes in improvisation and ensemble playing, and performs regularly in the region, with appearances with the Butler Symphony, Westmoreland Symphony, and the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus. In the CMU School of Drama, Alex is a pianist for ballet, modern, tap, and social dance classes, as well as voice lessons.
Outside of professional activities, you can find him outside on a run (yes, even during a Pittsburgh winter) or staying inside and taking care of his houseplants. After completing his BA at West Chester University, Alex Marthaler studied with Nancy Galbraith at Carnegie Mellon University where he graduated in 2016 (MA).
Revised 4/7/24
