Bio

Katie Semro is a composer who creates evocative music with a strong narrative arc. Her composition process starts with finding patterns that relate to her subject matter, whether it’s the shape of lichen on a tree trunk, the scratch of pencil on paper, or the beat of a line of poetry. From these patterns she develops the rhythms and melodies that she uses to tell the story she creates for the piece. She was commissioned to create a chamber music piece for the Night Market in Peterborough, NH, which was performed on August 9, 2024. She currently takes private instruction with composer Elena Ruehr, and is composing a piece for orchestra.

Semro found her way to composing through spoken word audio and electronic music. In 2023 she released an EP of electronic music, Gone, based on the emotional effects of our intangible losses. She has also collaborated with several visual artists, creating music and audio to accompany their works. Her audio art has been exhibited at Sound Scene Fest at the Hirshhorn Smithsonian Museum, and she won third prize in the 60 Sec Radio Competition in 2023. She also creates music for podcasts, is a composer mentor for Music-COMP, and runs Women with Live an online group that creates positive experiences with music technology for women.

She lives in a cozy house along the Gridley River in Sharon, NH with her husband and two children.