Meet Our 2026-27 COMPOSERS
GEORGE MILLER
Composer-in-Residence – DECEMBER CONCERT
George Miller is a composer and pianist currently based in San Francisco. Originally from Portland, Oregon, he studied piano and composition with Michael Allen Harrison—his musical training was largely the result of Harrison’s Snowman Foundation, which brings tuition-free music education to underprivileged youth. George has performed at major Portland concert venues including the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, and has been featured and interviewed on local news and radio broadcasts, often to promote the Snowman Foundation and other non-profits.
Since Fall 2024, George has studied composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Dr. David Conte. In that time, he has premiered more than twenty works by his peers as a collaborative pianist, soloist, and member of the conservatory’s New Music Ensemble; he has also premiered several of his own compositions at the conservatory and other venues. In addition to his conservatory education, he studies counterpoint with SFCM alum Ericsson Hatfield, an accomplished composer and theorist based in Montréal.
George takes inspiration from a myriad of artists across genres and art forms. From his musical training, he finds inspiration primarily in Bach, Messiaen, Barber, and Ellington; from his literary habits, Shakespeare, Robert Frost, and E. E. Cummings. When away from his instruments, George is an avid outdoorsman, and can frequently be found exploring the great outdoors.
MIN JU KIM
Composer-in-Residence – MARCH CONCERT
Min Ju Kim is a Korean composer and pianist currently pursuing a Master of Music in Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studies with Mason Bates. Inspired by visual art, mythology, and literature, her music explores narrative and the translation of visual imagery into sound.
Kim’s work draws on extra-musical sources, transforming stories and cultural references into musical structures and expressive sound worlds. She is particularly interested in the ways music can evoke visceral experiences and shape narrative with or without words. Recent projects have been influenced by mythological subjects and works of visual art, reflecting a fascination with storytelling across artistic disciplines.
As a composer, Kim has collaborated with a diverse range of performers and ensembles, including the Talea Ensemble, the International Orange Chorale of San Francisco (IOCSF), and musicians from the Bowdoin International Music Festival. These collaborations have shaped her approach to composition through close engagement with performers and the unique possibilities of each ensemble.
In addition to her compositional activities, Kim is an experienced music educator, having taught music theory, ear training, piano, and composition to students of various ages and backgrounds. Born in Korea and having lived and studied in both Korea and the United States, she draws on a broad range of artistic and cultural influences in her work. She is currently based in San Francisco.
CHRISTIAN JONES
Composer-in-Residence – JUNE CONCERT
Christian Jones is a composer currently studying at San Francisco Conservatory of Music(‘29) under the private instruction of David Conte. His pieces have been performed by the Nebula Consort, Friction Quartet, Meadowlark Trio, PHACE ensemble, and Trio Kanon. He attended the John Adams Young Composers Program(JAYCP) throughout high school, studying primarily with Matthew Cmiel. Through this program, he gained experience writing for various types of ensembles and working with professional musicians during rehearsals. He spent his senior year of high school at Interlochen Arts Academy(IAA), studying composition with Dr. Cynthia Van Maanen. During that year, he collaborated with Nicole Targosz, a fellow composer at JAYCP, on their largest project yet, a cantata scored for two solo voices, chamber orchestra, and harpsichord. He has also had masterclasses in composition with John Adams and Reena Esmail through JAYCP and IAA. In summer 2026, he attended the Vienna Contemporary Composers Festival and the Highscore Festival. Currently he is interested in string and vocal music, but also has experience with woodwind, brass, and percussion ensembles.
As a violist, he has played in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen, CODA All-State String Orchestra, Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival Orchestra, and Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra. As part of OSYO, he has performed to audiences in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. His private teachers have been Lawrence Hwang, Lenny Schranze, and Renee Skerik.
MARY KATHERINE J. TRANGCO
Composer-Not-in-Residence – 2026-27 Season
MARY KATHERINE J. TRANGCO earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Composition from the University of the Philippines College of Music, where she studied under distinguished Filipino composers Jonas Baes, Josefino Toledo, and National Artists for Music Ryan Cayabyab and Ramon Santos.
In 2000, she received the top award in the Togakushi Oragamu Composition Competition in Nagano, Japan. Her compositions have been featured in international choral competitions, including the Andrea O. Veneracion International Competition, Busan Choral Competition, and Tolosa Choral Competition. She has collaborated with several internationally recognized Philippine choral ensembles.
Her recent works include Man and Nature for choir and orchestra, Pangamuyo: A Soundscape for Voices, featured in the film Kwaresma; 10, A Soundscape Capture of 3rd Street During the Pandemic; Pahuway for flute, cello, and violin; Sketches for symphony orchestra; and Meditations.
Trangco has served as Assistant Conductor of the Ateneo Chamber Singers and conductor of the AUIT Chamber Vocal Ensemble. She currently teaches composition and theory at the UP College of Music while pursuing doctoral studies. She also conducts the Himig Sanghaya Chorale, which she co-founded. She serves as President of the Asian Composers League-Philippines and Chairperson of the UP College of Music Department of Composition and Theory.