Described as "an original composer with new ideas and a command of complex symphonic writing" (BroadStreet Journal), New Zealander-American Alan Mackwell (b. 1998) is a BMI award-winning young composer and banjo-player based in Boulder, Colorado. In his work, Alan seeks to explore a unique blend of atmospheres inspired by his experiences in the Permian Basin, northern New Mexico, and Appalachian North Carolina using a highly resonant and bluegrass-influenced musical language, as well as the utilization of original field recordings and interactive/generative digital interfaces. He earned his BM at the Boston Conservatory, where he studied with John Murphree, Dr. Eun Young Lee, Dr. Curtis Hughes, and Dr. Marti Epstein, and earned his MA at Tufts University where he studied with John McDonald and Kareem Roustom. Alan is currently pursuing his DMA at the University of Colorado Boulder where he teaches an Intro to Music Technology course.

Alan’s music has been played on three different continents, and several US states. His compositions have been played by high-achieving groups such as The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, The Boston Conservatory Contemporary Music Ensemble, Hub New Music, and the Corvus Ensemble. He was the grand prize winner of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra’s Inaugural Young Composers’ Competition in addition to being a two-time finalist for the Todd Corporation Young Composers’ Awards hosted by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Alan is the winner of the 2023 American Prize as well as a BMI Student Composer Award, which he won in 2022 for his string trio Remains of a Permian Gas Station.