Celina Kintscher (she/her)

Composer-Mentor

Celina Anna Kintscher is a German-Austrian composer whose artistry is shaped by her life on three continents, having lived in Germany, South Africa, and the U.S. Much of her compositional work is rooted in historical research and lived testimony, exploring subjects of profound human consequence—from Holocaust-inspired works, to a large-scale choral tribute to Nelson Mandela, and “Fractured Hope” shaped by conversations with survivors of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake. Kintscher strives to transform memory into sound and create spaces where resilience, dignity, and humanity can be deeply felt.

Her music has been performed by Orchestra Arturo Toscanini, Orchestra Senzaspine, the Los Angeles Brass Alliance, Salastina, Trio Diorama, Carpe Diem String Quartet, Quatuor Diotima, and Aperture Duo, as well as by sopranos Hilá Plitmann and Tony Arnold, percussionists Lisa Pegher and Christian Benning, violinist Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, and pianist Drew Petersen. She is a two-time ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award Finalist (2022, 2023) and the recipient of the 2024 Performance Today Prize.

Guided by mentors including Richard Danielpour, Ian Krouse, Jörg Widmann, Derrick Skye, Kristin Kuster, and Anthony Constantino, she has developed a distinct and evolving artistic voice. As both a composer and concert host, Kintscher frequently brings together performers and venues to champion new works, embracing a dual commitment to honoring the integrity of the repertoire while advancing musical innovation. She is a faculty member with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Nancy and Barry Sanders Composer Fellowship Program and presents Upbeat Live pre-concert lectures with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

FUN FACT: I’m basically a human passport stamp collector who’s kite surfed, skied, dived, off-roaded, hiked, camped, and volleyball-spiked my way across 35+ countries.