Composer Brian Sears’s music is based on his attraction to timbre, texture, and spectacle, and is heavily influenced by the concept of augmenting reality through the use of technology. His compositions utilize these forces as a foundation for creating immersive sonic environments. Brian holds a Master’s degree from Bowling Green State University, and a Bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Composition & Theory at Brandeis University where he studies with Eric Chasalow, Yu-Hui Chang, and David Rakowski. Brian is continually inspired and influenced by his interactions and collaborations with performers and sound artists, as well as past teachers and mentors like Elainie Lillios, Mikel Kuehn, Pablo Furman, and Brian Belet. These interactions have had a huge impact on his work, leading Brian to be a vocal proponent for the importance of community and collaboration in new music. Brian is the winner of the 2018 ASCAP/SEAMUS Commission Competition, and his music has been performed nationally at festivals and conferences like ICMC, SEAMUS, NYCEMF, the SCI National Conference, New Music Gathering, Electronic Music Midwest, N_SEME, SPLICE Festival, Electroacoustic Barndance, and CEMICircles, as well as by members of the International Contemporary Ensemble, SPLICE ensemble, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the San José Chamber Orchestra. He has also been a participant artist at various residencies including the Manifeste Academy at IRCAM, Atlantic Center of the Arts, the SPLICE Summer Institute, and the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice at New England Conservatory.