Alice Gomez (b. 1960)

Drawing on my multi-cultural background, I have become internationally recognized for my Latino and Native American influenced compositions. I grew up in San Antonio, Texas, a city rich in cultural diversity, playing the drums in my father's Latin dance band. As a composer, my goal is to create works that capture the true spirit of ethnicity and communicate it in contemporary musical language. In creating new works, I strive to preserve and promote the traditions of my own Hispanic culture, as well as those of the many other cultures that I have embraced.

I served as Composer-in-Residence with the award winning San Antonio Symphony from 1993-96, creating new works to unite the symphony with the largely Hispanic community of San Antonio. t have received several ASCAP Composer's Awards, and am currently an Associate Professor of Music at San Antonio Community College where I teach American Music, Percussion lessons and class percussion, and direct and arrange music for the Estudiantina and Latin jazz ensembles. As a percussionist, I have performed professionally with a variety of musical groups including The San Antonio Early Music Ensemble, The San Quilmas Consort, as an extra percussionist with the San Antonio Symphony, and as a sought after marimba and steel drum player in the San Antonio area. In addition to performing, I have lectured at several schools and universities throughout the United States. I have also served in an advisory capacity on panels for The National Endowment for the Arts and Meet The Composer, Inc.

My music is featured on several recordings on San Antonio's Talking Taco and Iago labels, and on Silver Wave Records. My music has also been featured regularly on several radio stations, as well as on television programs such as 20/20, and public television programs Heritage and ArtBeat.