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 150 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 2026/27 season features performances by the Houston Symphony, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Kalamazoo Symphony, Sequoia Symphony, Mansfield Symphony, and Syracuse Youth Orchestra, and premieres by the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, Lindsay Kesselman and the Georgia State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and Thalea String Quartet. Composer residencies this season include the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, Georgia State University, Ithaca College, University of North Carolina Greensboro, and Las Vegas Academy of the Arts. By the end of the 2026/27 season, Flagello’s Bravado for orchestra will reach 53 performances, and her Vitality for orchestra will have been performed 27 times. Upcoming collaborations include a saxophone quartet concerto for ~Nois and a clarinet concerto for Julian Bliss.

 

Flagello’s works have been featured by prominent ensembles including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, ROCO, Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, Sante Fe Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, United States “President’s Own” Marine Band, La Jolla Symphony Orchestra, and National Youth Orchestra of Canada. She has collaborated with many notable conductors, including Earl Lee, Aram Demirjian, Anthony Parnther, Octavio Más-Arocas, Taichi Fukumura, Timothy Muffitt, Katherine Kilburn, and Na'Zir McFadden.

 

Flagello’s music has been programmed in nine countries and 42 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. Her entire collection of solo percussion works was selected as repertoire for the 2026 Kolberg Percussion Competition. Flagello’s Bravado was selected for the 2026 Omaha Symphony Associate Principal/3rd Horn audition repertoire list.

 

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 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 frequently engaged as a Composer in Residence at institutions nationally and internationally. Past residencies have included the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, SoundWaves Festival at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, United States Naval Academy Band, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra. 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. She and artist manager Ashley Killam are the co-authors of The Consortium Toolkit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Staying Organized, Creating Compelling Materials, and Successfully Funding New Music. Flagello was the Festival Director and co-founder of the nonprofit contemporary music festival Connecticut Summerfest which ran for 10 seasons and premiered over 80 new works.

 

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.