Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra to Debut Young Composer’s Winning Piece

This is good news for anyone who loves live music, a great story, or just a fun (and free!) night out. The Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra (EPO) is about to make a little history, and they want the whole community there to witness it.

This past season, the EPO launched something brand new — the Young Composers Competition — inviting talented young composers from across the country, ages 18 to 29, to submit their original work for a shot at a $2,000 prize, a professional recording, and something even more exciting: hearing their music brought to life by a full orchestra.

Meet the First Young Composers Competition Winner

The very first winner has been announced, and he's someone worth getting excited about. Austin Ali is a Los Angeles-based composer, trumpeter, and arranger whose music blends jazz, contemporary classical, and influences from cultures around the world. His winning piece, Bacheh Golam, weaves together musical traditions from the West and Afghanistan into something genuinely fresh and personal.

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Ali isn't new to big stages — his work has been performed by orchestras and ensembles across the globe, and he's collaborated with everyone from GRAMMY-winning soprano Hilá Plitmann to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (yes, really — one of his pieces translates space data into music). He trained at the University of Texas at Austin and UCLA, and this year he's also working with the Albany Symphony and the National Orchestral Institute.

Hear the Indiana Debut for Free

Now Evansville gets to be part of his story. Mark your calendar for Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 6 p.m., when Ali's award-winning composition makes its Indiana debut as part of the EPO's New Traditions Series at The Commons, 315 N. Main Street. Best part? It's completely free and open to the public — so grab a friend, grab family, and come hear something brand new, first here, in Evansville.