Biography
 Conor with his wife Whitney in Zilker Park. |
Conor Brace is a freelance composer, sound designer, trumpet player, and teacher living in Austin, Texas.
Conor has been making music for as long as he can remember, first picking up guitar and piano before finding his voice on the trumpet. He led his section through much of junior high and high school, earning honors for both classical and jazz playing and becoming something of a mentor to fellow students.
In the fall of 2001, Conor enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin to study architecture. After just one semester away from the musical world, he realized what it seemed everyone else already knew: that music was his true calling. He transferred into U.T.'s music program, studying trumpet with Ray Sasaki and Dennis Dotson as well as composition with John Mills. Conor graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Plan II and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Composition.
The following year, Conor discovered a hidden talent for setting music to picture. Within a few months he had earned his first film composing credit, and shortly thereafter his first game music and sound design credit. His typical scoring style blends the traditional orchestral language with modern jazz-influenced harmonies and rhythms. This interest in combining diverse musical traditions can be heard even more clearly in Conor's jazz writing, which often incorporates elements of blues, rock, hip-hop, classical, Latin, African, and Asian music. Conor is continually working to expand his musical palette, believing that a truly proficient composer must have the ability to draw on the right kind of sound for the job at hand. As Edward Elgar once said, "There is music in the air, music all around us; the air is full of it, and you simply take what you require."
Conor is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Music Composition (Jazz Emphasis) as well as a career writing music for film and games. You can hear some of his original work through the links at the top of this website. You can also catch Conor performing around Austin with groups including the Austin Jazz Band, the Alternative Improvisational Music Ensemble, and funk/soul band T-Bird and the Breaks.