About Alex
Composer
Alex Zhang is a composer and music educator. He is currently a lecturer in music theory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Growing up in Chengdu, China, Alex did not have any formal music training, but he started singing and learning voice in college. He began composing during his junior year in college and fell in love with it. Then, he went on to graduate school to get his master’s and doctorate degrees in music composition.
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Alex discovered his passion for teaching music during the gap years between graduate schools. He taught middle school and high school choir in Colorado and music theory at Texas Tech University while pursuing his doctoral degree. Currently, he is teaching freshman music theory at the University of Illinois. He is also teaching a graduate music theory course on popular music analysis—the first time the school has offered such a class.
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In his spare time, Alex enjoys watching sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis, and boxing, and he plays tennis, ping pong, and basketball. Alex is also very into coffee, as he roasts his own coffee beans. Alex is an active landscape photographer who enjoys hiking and outdoor activities.