From self-taught to internationally award-winning composer in just a few years.
Alexander is what some may consider an unorthodox composer. After tinkering around on MuseScore as a child, he began truly throwing himself into the art of composition at the age of 17. Just a little over a year later, he made it to the finals of the 2021 Fabulous Fox Theatre’s St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. His piece, Beethoven on Broadway for cello and piano, received the Voss Family Originality Award. This was the true beginning of Alexander’s composition journey, all self-taught. Guided solely by his perfect pitch, Alexander has since won numerous international composing competitions, resulting in recognition and performances from The International Symphonina Orchestra, B# Chamber Trio, Prelude Chamber Music Faculty Quartet, Vancouver Chamber Choir, St. Francis de Sales Oratory, Ada Witczyk, David Bohn, and more.
Several of his winning works have culminated in being featured works on albums. The largest one to date is Advent of the Symphonina, a result of winning first place in the 2023 Best Symphonina of the Year Award Competition. His work, Symphonina in C, cemented him as the youngest composer to ever win the competition. The album later went on to hit #1 on the Billboard® Traditional Classical Chart in August 2024; other awards include “Best Classical Album” Nomination through the 2025 World Entertainment Awards and a Gold Medal in the LIT Music Awards. Judges lauded the “Golden Age of Hollywood flair” feel and praised the piece as “exciting and unpredictable” and “full of symphonic orchestral tonal colors.”
The second album, New Baroque - Sonatas, features Alexander as a winner of the London-based 2024 Ruzickova Composing Competition. The album is released through First Hand Records and the sheet music is published through Prima la musica. He is the youngest composer to ever win the competition in its 5-year history. The winning piece, One of Seven, follows his trend of dedicating his pieces to his family — it was described as having an “unashamedly tonal idiom” (BBC Music Magazine) and a “[strong] sense of stylistic purpose…unapologetic pastiche” (Gramophone). His work was featured on Apple Music’s Classical A.M. Playlist in March 2025, resulting in tens of thousands of new streams worldwide .
In a remarkable fashion, Alexander’s third album appearance will again be with The Symphonina Foundation. He was the runner-up in the 2024 Best Symphonina of the Year Award Competition, demonstrating himself as a young tour-de-force within The Foundation after becoming the youngest composer to ever win either first or second place. The work, Childhood Symphonina, was praised by judges as being “nothing short of extraordinary,” “a piece of music that has no emotional weak links,” and “a wonderful composition with much musical magic.” It will be featured on an album releasing mid-2025.
Alexander has made it his mission to write new music for amateur ensembles as they often do not have commissioned music. He has collaborated with schools and churches all over the country, including Arizona State University, The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, University of Missouri-Columbia, Rockhurst High School, University of Missouri-Kansas City, St. Louis University High School, and more. He has conducted high schools before, even doing so for one of his pieces, Heroic Journey.
Aside from composition, Alexander is also an accomplished cellist and pianist. He studied cello under Mary Lou Gotman and David Kim and played in numerous prestigious youth orchestras including the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Missouri All-State Orchestra, and the St. Louis Metro District 8 Orchestra (principal cellist). His solo performances consistently achieved gold medals at the Missouri State Solo and Ensemble Festivals. For piano, he received instruction from Vera Parkin. On both instruments, he has played in the pit for musicals such as Chicago, Into the Woods, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Little Women.
