about

short bio (<250 words):

Alyse Murray (b. 2003) is a composer and sound artist based in San Francisco. Her music is an exploration of different tonal systems and applied data sets, and often is an analysis of the relationships between electronic and acoustic instruments. Her works have been performed by line upon line, Transient Canvas, Ensemble Ipse, Mivos Quartet, and Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. In Spring 2026, she presented a paper on color psychology and Anna Clyne’s Color Field at the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the American Musicological Society.

In 2026, Murray received a Master’s degree in Music Composition at California State University, Long Beach, where she worked as a graduate assistant and guest lecturer of music theory; she was additionally awarded the prestigious Graduate Dean’s List Scholar recognition. In 2024, Murray received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music summa cum laude from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

extended bio (>250 words):

Alyse Murray (b. 2003) is a composer, sound artist, and educator based in San Francisco, CA. Her work is an exploration of interdisciplinary research transformed into musical sound, electro-acoustic experimentation, and contemporary tonal systems.

As part of her compositional studies in her undergraduate degree, she composed original works for line upon line, Transient Canvas, and music students. Additionally, she worked under composer Julie Herndon as part of the “Ocean Site One” project, an interdisciplinary VR initiative aimed to increase awareness of oil rig conservation on the California coast. In March 2026, she collaborated alongside twenty-five composers and the NY-based contemporary group, Ensemble Ipse, on “Siteworks: Composer Soup Throwdown,” an interactive musical installation that promotes categorization of sound, collaborative dialogue, and contemporary soundscapes.

In July 2026, Murray will participate in the Valencia International Performing Arts Festival (VIPA) in Spain, where she will premiere an original work for Mivos Quartet. On September 19-20, 2026, her original work for the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble Pathways Program will be performed as part of the Impossible Inventions program in San Francisco, CA, and Berkeley, CA. 

In Spring 2026, Murray presented a paper on color psychology, the art of Mark Rothko, and its application on contemporary musical works in the context of Anna Clyne’s Color Field at the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the American Musicological Society. 

Alyse Murray received a Master’s degree in Music Composition at California State University, Long Beach in Spring 2026. While there, she was additionally awarded the prestigious Graduate Dean’s List Scholar recognition, given to one top student in the College of the Arts. In 2024, Murray received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music summa cum laude from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.