Called “self-deprecating,” “snarky,” and “kind of garbage” by people whose opinions mean just as much as any legitimate critic, Alex Niederberger is a Denver and Kansas City based composer who attempts to entertain his audience with every piece he writes. His music can range from post-serialism to centricism, eclecticism to post-modernism, or a variety of other styles depending on the time of day, cycle of the moon, and whatever he had for breakfast.

 

Alex loves being asked for music, as it allows for a collaborative relationship between the player/ensemble and the composer, which leads to pieces that are both fun to listen to and to play. And it makes him feel cherished. Through projects like this, he’s had the opportunity of working with Some Assembly Required (Dance Suite for Wind Trio), North Kansas City High School (Shad Araban and Overture), and string duo Sarah Wilkinson and Kelcey Howell (Triptych for Viola and Cello). Occasionally people realize how bomb his music is, notably a 2018 performance of Triptych in Nagoya, Japan and the same piece’s inclusion in the Playground Ensemble’s twelfth Colorado Composer’s Concert.

 

Outside of art music, Alex composes for fun and for his friends; writing music for video games, D&D adventures, and films. In the future he hopes to be able to eat regularly, whether that’s achieved through musical jobs, some desk job, or the pity of strangers. Alex studies with William Hill, Leanna Kirchoff, and Chris Malloy, and is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree of Music in Composition at the University of Denver and a minor in Computer Science.