Nalah Aiden Palmer

Biography

Nalah Aiden Palmer (b. July 31, 2003) is an African-American multi-genre composer and violinist. Palmer currently studies music composition at Penn State University with Dr. Baljinder Sekhon after graduating from Duke Ellington School of the Arts with an arts diploma in violin performance (2021). Palmer has composed pieces for distinguished ensembles including SydeBoob Duet and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, the latter of which was performed live and broadcasted for the Prague Proms 2022 Music Festival. Two of her three works premiered at Wintergreen New Music Festival 2023 featured unorthodox playing techniques for string instruments, which have become increasingly present in Palmer’s music. Her background in violin performance allows an insightful perspective into string writing and plays a large role in her compositional expression. Palmer composes for a wide variety of instruments and ensembles excluding strings—including electronic music—and has a relevant history with musical theatre, having composed and performed (violin) for Broadway Records on multiple occasions. Palmer is currently co-writing/orchestrating Two Maiden Ladies, a new musical about two real, queer women from the 1800’s, with August Riley Greenwood, with whom she’s worked before on other LGBTQ+ centered projects. Bringing awareness and providing representation for marginalized communities are things Palmer frequently tries to accomplish with her music. She is currently affiliated with Living Music and has been partnered with Maestra and MUSE since 2020, all of which strive to create space for living composers and performers of all backgrounds.