My approach to life as a composer and human being is all about exploring; creating, connecting, and exchanging ideas. I’m drawn to collaboration, blending different backgrounds, and discovering new sounds through shared experiences. That spirit comes from my early years, beginning at seven years old, bringing my guitar into Baltimore churches and community spaces, later studying classical guitar and jazz at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., and earning a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at Michigan State University with mentors Randy Napoleon and Rodney Whitaker.

For me, music isn’t just self-expression; it’s community, conversation, and growth. The goal is always to connect, push boundaries, and keep moving forward.

That path has carried me through moments that shaped both my artistry and outlook. At Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jack Rudin Jazz Championship, the lasting memory wasn’t the recognition, but how our orchestra came together under pressure, trusting one another to bring meaningful music to life. It was an emotional experience that showed me how music connects people, even in high-stakes settings. Presenting my orchestral work at Bulgaria’s National Radio Studio, I came from a different cultural and linguistic background, which made the communication through music even more powerful. At the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency, Jason Moran curated a remarkable group of mentors and peers who sang and danced with me, creating a connection that drew out the best of my work. Hovering over it all was the residency’s legacy, the reverence of Betty Carter’s name itself, reminding me that being there meant carrying forward something larger than myself.

Internationally, my compositions have been performed and recorded by the RTVE Symphony Orchestra in Spain, as part of GEMS and the European Recording Orchestra in Bulgaria through the European Film Scoring Academy.

I completed my MFA in Scoring for Screen at Columbia College Chicago, where mentorship with composer Mark Isham offered invaluable lessons in both craft and spirit. In his Los Angeles studio, I saw how generosity itself can be a form of professionalism, shaping the creative process as much as technique.

I move fluidly between the immediacy of the performance stage and the scope of cinema. My debut project, Nature Boy, combines original works and an iconic classic re-envisioned, crafted to vividly tell stories the ear can see

Hugh