Alessio Tranchell - Winner of our 2nd Annual
Composition Competition

Alessio Tranchell is a conductor, composer, and vocalist. A native of Falmouth, Massachusetts, Tranchell moved to Minnesota in 2017 to pursue work in choral conducting. Tranchell teaches courses in conducting, music history, and vocal pedagogy. Previously, Tranchell worked as an adjunct faculty at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, Crown College, and Saint Cloud State University. As a vocalist Tranchell sings locally with the Minnesota Opera Chorus, Skylark Opera, and The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company.

A lover of many musical styles, Alessio also writes, plays guitar, and sings in the alternative rock band Broken Head on Sunday Drive Records. Emulating the music of the early 90’s that he grew up listening to, Broken Head serves as another musical outlet of expression. Broken Head’s music can be found on all streaming platforms.

Tranchell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Gordon College, and a dual focused Master of Music in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance from the Greatbatch School of Music, Houghton University. He currently lives in St. Paul, MN with his wife, Caroline, and their two pugs Tommy and Roger.

—

When I first came across Sir Charles Roberts’ poem “The Skater,” I was immediately transported into the thrilling stillness of wintertime. The imagery of the poem is masterful, and made me feel as though I myself was skating through the frozen wilderness. There was a sense of energy and adventure I hoped to put into the accompaniment, while the voices float and skate lightly above in awe of winter’s beauty. The poem rocks back and forth between experiencing the beauty of nature and experiencing the fear of the unknown wilderness. This felt like an innately human experience - to feel the beauty of the world around us and to be equally enthralled and terrified by the adventures that await us.