Biography

Chelsea Komschlies is a composer whose work has been called “utterly fascinating” (Rutland Herald) and praised for its “vivid storytelling” (Chicago Classical Review). Her music blends the familiar and the uncanny, creating vivid multisensory worlds. A 2023 Virginia B. Toulmin Commission recipient, she recently premiered Mycelialore for orchestra and electronics with the Tucson Symphony and will join the Louisville Orchestra’s Creators Corps for the 2025–26 season. Her music has been supported by organizations including the Toulmin, Hermitage, Fromm, Copland House, and ASCAP Foundations, and performed by ensembles such as Alarm Will Sound, Quasar Saxophone Quartet, Bozzini Quartet, and symphonies across the U.S.

Komschlies is expanding her practice into immersive VR, partnering with Louisville Makes Games to develop visually immersive, gamified musical experiences. She is a Ph.D. candidate at McGill University, where her research on shared multisensory perception in music is supported by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec.