Andrés Gallo | Composer

I’m a composer, born and raised in Medellín, Colombia, in 1987.
I grew up in a rich soundscape of Andean folklore, Spanish ballads, international ’80s pop and rock, and the vibrant mix of Colombian popular culture. At home, I was surrounded by instruments—guitars, tiples, bandolas, percussion, and my first keyboard—all of which shaped my world long before I learned how to read or write music.

Immersed in this abundance, the path toward music felt inevitable. By the time I had to choose “what to be,” the decision was already made: I wanted to pursue formal training and give shape to everything I had absorbed. During my bachelor’s degree in Composition, I also developed skills in piano and classical guitar, spent wonderful years singing in choirs, and even played in a teenage rock band (those were the days of slow internet, but I’m sure some videos are still floating around). These experiences deeply shaped both my personality and my early musical voice.

After a period of rigorous classical training, I felt the urge to explore beyond folklore, popular music, and the academic concert field. That journey took me to Ireland, where I studied scoring for film and visual media. There, I discovered new tools and technologies that expanded my palette for today’s complex sound world—though I never abandoned the pencil, manuscript paper, and most of all, the eraser.

I am now pursuing my doctoral degree in composition at Florida State University in the United States, where I also serve as an Assistant Professor. More than simply wanting “to be a musician,” my motivation has always been to understand music at its core, in its depth—an ambitious and lifelong task.

Along the way, I’ve written many works—some of which have been recognized in international competitions and recorded by outstanding musicians and ensembles—that you’ll find throughout this website.

If you’d like a more formal overview, my CV is available here. Feel free to look around—read, listen, explore my social media links, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you think I can contribute to a project. I’m always eager to learn through collaboration and to pass on the torch I’ve been fortunate to receive.

Welcome.