Thomas Kotcheff, a native of Los Angeles, has been described as “truly beautiful and inspired” (icareifyoulisten.com) and “explosive” (Gramophone magazine), and his music has been performed internationally by The Riot Ensemble, Sandbox Percussion, Trio Appassionata, the Argus Quartet, USC Thornton Edge, HOCKET, and the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. Kotcheff has received awards and honors from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Presser Foundation, the Aspen Summer Music Festival, BMI, the National Association of Composers USA, the American Composers Forum, and has been a composition fellow at the Aspen Summer Music Festival and School, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and the Bennington Chamber Music Conference. He holds degrees in composition and piano performance from the Peabody Institute and the University of Southern California, where he is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Music in composition.