The works of Michael Gilbertson have been described as “elegant” and “particularly beautiful” by The New York Times, “vivid, tightly woven” and “delectably subtle” by The Baltimore Sun, and “genuinely moving” by The Washington Post. He studied composition at The Juilliard School and at the Yale School of Music. Gilbertson’s works have been programmed by the Minnesota Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Washington National Opera, Albany Symphony, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Symphony in C, New England Philharmonic, Dubuque Symphony, Cheyenne Symphony, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Sybarite5, WindSync, and professional choirs including Musica Sacra, The Crossing, and The Esoterics. In March 2016 he was MusicalAmerica’s featured New Artist of the Month. Since 2009 Michael has served as artistic director of ChamberFest Dubuque, an annual music festival he founded to bring classical artists to his hometown for concerts, to provide educational outreach, and to raise money for community music education.

Michael Gilbertson is currently serving as the BMI Foundation Composer-in-Residence at the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and was named a Finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his work Quartet. Select works are available from Boosey & Hawkes/Hendon Music, ECS, G. Schirmer/AMP, and Theodore Presser Company.