Bio

Giuseppe Gallo-Balma is a composer based in Kansas City, originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He began studying music at age eleven, starting on the flute. Encouraged by his private teacher, he auditioned for the National Conservatory, where he enrolled in 2008. After completing his studies in the Dominican Republic, Gallo-Balma continued his education in the United States at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, earning a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance along with a Certificate in Composition. He later received his Master of Music in Composition from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory, where he studied with Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, and Yotam Haber.

His music has been performed by ensembles including JACK Quartet, Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo, Transient Canvas, Dice Trio, Vision Quartet, Re(a)d Trio, and NewEar, and has been featured on Sound Currents (KCUR/NPR). In 2023, he was selected as a Featured Artist for the EarShot Readings with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for his work The Bones of Yayael. He has also been invited to participate in a number of national and international festivals.

The son of Haitian and Italian immigrants, Gallo-Balma was raised in the Dominican Republic. His music reflects the convergence of these three cultural backgrounds, with a particular focus on the musical traditions of Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean communities.