Orkun Akyol (b. 1992) is a PhD student in composition and theory at UC Davis. Currently he studies with Laurie San Martin. He holds a master’s degree in composition from Istanbul Technical University, Center for Advanced Studies in Music (MIAM), during which he studied with Jeremy Woodruff, Pieter Snapper and Reuben de Lautour. Orkun’s latest interests are jazz music and computational creativity. His music writing is nourished from his diverse experiences as a jazz pianist and as an industrial engineer with a bachelor’s degree from Bogazici University. 

Trey Makler (b. 1994) is a musical storyteller. His music creates dramatic, poignant narratives that take the listener on unexpected journeys through memories of hope, play, struggle, and triumph.  Aside from composing, he enjoys writing poetry, doodling, and organizing concerts. He is a doctoral candidate in composition and theory at the University of California, Davis, and holds degrees from the Juilliard School and the University of Missouri.  His primary teachers have included Mika Pelo, Melinda Wagner, Stefan Freund, and W. Thomas McKenney.