In less than a decade of composing Bradley de Lucia has written over 300 original works of various genres and styles, from medieval canons to a full-length horror movie soundtrack. His music strives for a balanced combination of lyrical beauty and methodical invention. A champion of tonality and classical forms, de Lucia grounds himself in deep personal studies of music, history, psychology, and the philosophies behind them all in the hopes of retaining and revitalizing the sublime, consoling, and beautiful within the tradition of art. Growing up in Lacey, Washington, he taught himself how to play the piano and write music, making his debut as a composer through the Seattle Symphony's Young Composers Workshop, where three years in a row he received commissions and premieres of his chamber works. He also works as a conductor, arranger, and an active mentor for all things music for many throughout his community. Bradley is a Composition M.M. student at the University of Denver, with a B.M. in composition from the Berklee College of Music.

(updated August, 2025)

Emil Tellefsen creates groove-like neo-romantic works that blend his experience with classical and commercial music—drawing influence from composers such as Caroline Shaw, Philip Houghton, and Sufjan Stevens. He’s also forayed into the world of microtonality with compositions in 31-tone equal temperament. In the summer of 2024, Emil premiered two compositions at Longy School of Music’s Divergent Festival in Boston. His string trio, Water, released that fall, is described by the DU Clarion as providing “complete stillness or rapid movement. It can either emit calm, grounding energy or an intense storm.” Emil’s interdisciplinary projects span music and sound design work for Global Game Jam entries, an indie animatic, and a product tutorial video for the tech startup GraphIQ. Emil also performs as a guitarist and vocalist in the indie rock band Rose Cold.

(updated August, 2025)

Logan Dougherty graduated with a BA degree in astrophysics (2011-2015). He spent several years after that degree analyzing in situ space plasma data from the Voyager spacecrafts around Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. Research of the space plasma led to an academic research paper in the Journal of Geophysical Research. This analytical side of his life reached further than just physics, extending into an appreciation of the mathematical side of music. Algorithmic and stochastic approaches are prevalent in many of his works.

Several years later, Logan returned to CU for a BM in Music Composition from CU Boulder (2018-2021). During that degree he studied composition under Daniel Kellogg, Carter Pann, Annika Socolofsky, and John Drumheller and piano under Andrew Cooperstock. Currently, he is pursuing graduate studies at the Lamont School of Music at DU, studying under Leanna Kirchoff, Sean Friar, and Nathan Hall. He has worked on the soundtracks for video games and student short films. He is also a member of a Technical Progressive Death Metal studio recording project Obsidian Skies. His love for romanticism, impressionism, 12-Tone technique, science, and metal extend into his writing, creating his own distinctive sound.

(updated September, 2025)

Having a penchant for language, Delaney Kottenstette examines lyricism through the lens of the instrumental, translating her connection with the written word through the medium of music. Experimenting in the world of winds and strings, she is creating a well-rounded body of works that feature unconventional and underrated instrumental combinations. Subverting idiomatic expectations, Delaney presents a sound that is both fresh and familiar. Her compositional journey continues under the instruction of Leanna Kirchoff, Nathan Hall, and Sean Friar at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. Kottenstette started as a flutist from Centennial, Colorado, and knew she would choose music as a foundational part of her life and career from a very young age.

(updated October, 2025)

Ryan Kilgroe (b. 2005) is a passionate composer and trumpet performer. Kilgroe’s background includes performing in academic and professional ensembles, instructing developing musicians, and composing for his musical peers and students.

In addition to being a composer and performer, Kilgroe also works as a K-12 substitute teacher, as well as freelance educational-coach and private lesson teacher.

Writing primarily modern-instrumental chamber music, Kilgroe’s favorite part of making music is the opportunity to pull influences from other perspectives to acknowledge, commemorate, and expand on the lived experiences of humanity.

(updated July, 2025)

Ronan Caci-Kukelka is a dedicated composer, cellist, and bassist from Ithaca, NY. Currently a student at the University of Denver Lamont School of Music, he majors in Composition while serving as the Principal Bassist of the Lamont Symphony Orchestra and a Cellist in the Modern Music Ensemble. His compositions have earned accolades, including an Honorable Mention in the NYSSMA Young Composers program and special recognition from the National Association for Music Education. He has been commissioned by Ember Choral Arts, the NYS Association of School Psychologists, and more. Outside of classical music, Ronan enjoys classic rock, pop punk, and heavy metal. When he's not writing, listening to, or playing music, he enjoys biking, swimming, skiing, making and watching movies, and learning new things.

(updated September, 2025)

My name is Alexander Quam, and I am from Minneapolis, MN. I am a first year at DU studying classical composition. I have loved classical music all my life, but only began to study it in high school. I also play electric guitar in a grindcore band called Stone Harp.

(updated September, 2025)

Margot Colie is a versatile musician who exists in many genres and trades, seeking to create innovative yet familiar music. She often collaborates as a composer, vocalist, and accordionist among other roles. Colie’s compositional style is largely gestural and based in color with many of her pieces focusing on specific aspects of different scenery or memories. Fostering an interest in choral music, she has been commissioned by the Sing Me a Story Foundation and Charleston County School of the Arts, and her piece, “Breathe,” was on tour with the Landenjugenchor Brandenburg from Germany in 2025. She arranges frequently for Exit 205 acapella as music director, having led them to the International Competition of Collegiate Acapella Quarterfinals for three years, taking third in 2025, and directing and performing on their EP Highway Harmonies. Colie’s works also focus on chamber music, with a piece for solo guitar, “Lace Socks,” having premiered at the 2024 São Paulo Contemporary Composers Festival. As a performer, Colie most often works as a vocalist and accordionist, though she also practices many other instruments, having performed with the Lamont Chamber Guitar ensemble, Chorale, Bluegrass Ensemble, and Steel Drum Ensemble in recent years. She is the lead singer and accordionist for Denver-based indie rock band, Rose Cold and plays banjo for bluegrass band, Boxcar County.  Holding a BMus in Composition from the University of Denver, she has studied with Leanna Kirchoff, Nathan Hall, and Sean Friar.

(updated September, 2025)

Praised by Friends of Chamber Music for his ability to “represent the next generation of chamber music artists,” Dylan Tyree is a composer, cellist, and arts administrator. An eclectic musician, he explores the boundaries between genres, aiming to create immersive musical experiences for both performers and audiences.

A competition-winning composer, Dylan co-founded the Soaring Artists Music Collective (SAMC), a Denver-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on redefining the relationship between artists and audiences while exploring how genre shapes that interaction.

Dylan is currently pursuing a double M.Mus. in Composition and Cello Performance at the University of Southern California, studying with Ralph Kirshbaum and Seth Parker Woods (cello), and Donald Crockett, Andrew Norman, and Ted Hearne (composition).

(updated July, 2025)