ANDY AKIHO

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Andy Akiho is a “trailblazing” (Los Angeles Times) composer and steel pannist known for his intricate and boundary-pushing works. Called “increasingly in-demand” by The New York Times, Akiho is consistently recognized for his large-scale compositions that highlight the theatricality of live performance. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, he is the only composer to receive GRAMMY® nominations for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Recent highlights include the world premieres of Nisei, a concerto for cellist Jeffrey Zeigler, and Sculptures, an interdisciplinary work for the Omaha Symphony honoring visual artist Jun Kaneko. Also of note: a sold-out run of “Seven Pillars” at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, choreographed by Benjamin Millepied and performed by Sandbox Percussion and LA Dance Project, and BeLonging, a sweeping new collaboration with Imani Winds with strong political undertones.  

Akiho’s works have been commissioned by leading orchestras and ensembles around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, and Shanghai Symphony. Equally at home writing chamber music and symphonies, he is the Oregon Symphony’s 2023-2024 composer-in-residence. 

As a steel pannist, Akiho has a deeply physical relationship with playing, which naturally extends itself to composition. His style is also shaped by what is undoubtedly a nontraditional path: having spent most of his 20s playing steel pan by ear in Trinidad and New York City, Akiho only began writing music at age 28. 

Born in 1979 in Columbia, SC, Akiho is based in Portland, OR, and New York City.

Photo: Da Ping Luo