BIOGRAPHY

Nate Leslie (b. 2004) is an American composer, educator, and performer originally from rural Missouri. His love for music is driven by a love for people – a philosophy that is reflected in both his compositions and teaching ideology.

 

Nate has a growing body of works including pieces for solo instruments, chamber groups, orchestra, and wind ensemble. As an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri - Columbia (Mizzou), he has worked on a plethora of commissions, including the school’s top composition award (the Sinquefield Prize).

 

Nate’s music is often visceral, putting focus on power and presence. His unique sound draws harmonic, rhythmic, and textural influence from electronic hardcore, jazz, pop punk, and other modern creators of art music. He enjoys working closely with performers and other composers to create music through collaboration. As a performer, he has commissioned 6 new works for saxophone and performed on more than a dozen premieres of new works. Extending beyond music, he is also interested in collaborating among disciplines, commissioning and working with visual artists and fashion designers to bring cohesive artistic ideas to life.

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At Mizzou, Nate studies with a founder of the Grammy-award winning ensemble Alarm Will Sound, Stefan Freund. Through the Mizzou New Music Initiative and attending various summer festivals, he has also studied with notable composers such as Chen Yi, Viet Cuong, Marc Mellits, Jennifer Jolley, and more. His music is performed across the United States and has been premiered by top-level ensembles including musicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Eighth Blackbird Ensemble.