Self-taught composer Alex Unseth is a business undergrad student and in 2023 he entered into a prestigious worldwide music competition winning the 2023 Best Symphonia of the Year award .
The Symphonina Foundation has an annual composer competition for the Best Symphonina of the Year with a large panel of judges. CEO of the Symphonina Foundation, David Fogel believed that Unseth’s work was excellent and was a great fit for this award.
“I was very happy that I agreed with the rest of the judges that his work was top-notch, and fits the Symphonina genre perfectly,” Fogel said. “It is a complete symphony presented in about 10-12 minutes with three or four melodic movements, each about the length of something we would stream on our phones.”
Unseth’s parents aided in the beginning of his musical journey, but he worked hard to get where he is today with his music and achievements. He began playing the cello at age 5, then tackled the piano at 12.
“I wasn’t doing any composition yet at that point. At 17, I was hearing about all of these composing contests and thought they would be fun, so I started to just sit down and write music myself without any formal composition training,” Unseth said.
From there, Unseth started to win competitions and book gigs, saying competitions such as the 2023 Best Symphonia of the Year opened doors for him.
As a student, Unseth has to learn to balance both music and business. Some of his music teachers were his inspirations. They always reminded him that the best way to get better at music is just to do it.
“It’s been kind of interesting because there is some overlap between music and business,” said Unseth. “I always find time to write music, it brings me the most joy so even if I don’t have time for it then I will make time for it.”
Unseth said that his creative process brings him joy and makes composing even more rewarding for him.
“Sound is kind of like color and each note has its own type of personality, so in my head, I can actually hear an entire orchestra and take that and be able to put it on paper,” Unseth said. “I try not to throw any of my ideas away but at the same time put out as many as possible.”
Unseth has a creative mind that flows into his work. He entered into this competition because it seemed like fun, not knowing that this would end up opening doors for him.
“I think the judges appreciated Alex’s incredibly creative compositions, his light-hearted approach to the music in many places and his overall energy,” said Fogel.“I felt the composition was always leading me someplace new, and presented a fresh contribution to today’s symphonic music.”
The main goal of the Symphonina Foundation is to help spread the joy of symphonic music to young audiences around the world. Their goals align with Unseth’s goal to make people happy and put a smile on their faces.
Alex Unseth went from a kid in high school with a stutter who used music as an escape, to finding his own voice and expressing himself while connecting with others emotionally.
“I think it’s really amazing how much you can say without words,” Unseth said.
For more information on the Symphonina Foundation, please contact
