Michael Gilbertson

Michael Gilbertson joined the Conservatory in 2024 and is an associate professor of composition. His works have been described by the New York Times as “elegant” and “particularly beautiful;” by the Baltimore Sun as “vivid, tightly woven,” and “delectably subtle;” by the Washington Post as “genuinely moving;” and by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “a compelling fusion of new and ancient.” In 2018, he was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in music. He has also received the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Lieberson Fellowship and a Copland House Residency Award.

Gilbertson’s works have been programmed by the Minnesota Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Washington National Opera, Albany Symphony, New World Symphony, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Grand Rapids Symphony, and Santa Barbara Symphony, as well as by wind ensembles, including the United States Marine Band, and by professional choirs, including Musica Sacra, the Crossing, Volti, Conspirare, the Swedish Radio Choir, and Yale Choral Artists. His music includes numerous works for dance, which have been commissioned by the New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute and the Aspen-Santa Fe Ballet.

Gilbertson holds degrees from the Juilliard School and Yale University. He served as BMI Composer in Residence with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra from 2017 to 2020. For over a decade, he was the artistic director of ChamberFest Dubuque, an annual festival dedicated to supporting community music education.