About Gala

Gala Flagello (b. 1994) is a composer and educator whose work is inspired by a passion for lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and fostering meaningful collaboration. Her music, described as "at times endearingly whimsical, at times ominous, but always moving" (Cleveland Classical), resonates with audiences through its emotional depth and dynamic expression. With over 100 performances of her music each year, Flagello's collaborations with leading ensembles, artists, and institutions on national and international stages are impactful to audiences and performers alike. 

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Flagello’s 2025/26 season features premieres by the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Youth Symphony, ROCO, the United States Naval Academy Band, Thalea String Quartet, and Calypsus Brass. Composer residencies this season include Glacier Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Youth Symphony, United States Naval Academy Band, the 2025 SoundWaves Festival at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Piedmont Wind Symphony, the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and Purdue University Fort Wayne. Upcoming collaborations include a new work for soprano and symphonic winds featuring renowned vocalist Lindsay Kesselman, and a saxophone quartet concerto for acclaimed ensemble ~Nois.

 

Flagello’s works have been featured by prominent ensembles including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, United States “President’s Own” Marine Band, La Jolla Symphony Orchestra, Sante Fe Symphony Orchestra, DuPage Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Youth Symphony, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings, and the Apollo Ensemble of Boston. She has collaborated with many notable conductors, including Earl Lee, Fouad Fakhouri, Timothy Muffitt, Arian Khaefi, Bruce Kiesling, and Na'Zir McFadden.

 

Flagello’s music has been programmed in seven countries and 39 states. Her pieces are featured at conferences around the world, including the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), Midwest Clinic, College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), Thailand Tuba Euphonium Conference (ThaiTEC), and several state music educator conferences. 

 

Flagello’s work frequently engages with topics such as environmental advocacy, mental health, and gender equity. The Bird-While, a concerto for Hub New Music and symphonic winds, is based on the environmental poetry of Michigan poet Keith Taylor, with each movement sonically exploring Michigan-specific flora and fauna. Other recent socially engaged projects include Embers, commissioned by Jarrett McCourt, and Love & Nature, commissioned by a consortium of 55 wind bands led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

 

Flagello is a passionate educator and arts leader. She co-founded the nonprofit contemporary music festival Connecticut Summerfest which celebrated its 10th anniversary season in 2025. In her teaching, Flagello enthusiastically works with students to develop fledgling ideas into fully realized pieces, examine repertoire from Saint-Georges to Saariaho, and incorporate non-musical elements such as visual art and technology into their work. She is frequently engaged as a Composer in Residence at institutions nationally and internationally; past residencies have included the University of Michigan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Virginia Tech, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Queen’s University. Flagello is proud to have co-designed and co-teach the course Commissioning and Collaboration Basics (ARTSADMN 406/506) at the University of Michigan with Hub New Music Executive Director Michael Avitabile.

Flagello earned her Bachelor of Music in Composition from The Hartt School, and her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from the University of Michigan, where she was awarded the Dorothy Greenwald Graduate Fellowship. She has honed her craft as a Composition Fellow at prestigious institutions such as Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music. Flagello’s works are published by Just a Theory Press. When not composing, you can find her reading a good book, cooking up a new recipe, or tending to her plethora of spider plants.

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Name note: Gala pronounces her name GAL-uh Flah-JEL-oh.