Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson

Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson (born 1951, Oklahoma City) is an American composer and trumpeter based in Biel, Switzerland. In 2025, Nelson's composition Jim is Still Crowing, a work for solo trumpet and ensemble, was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Music^[1][2]

Nelson studied composition at Indiana University under John Eaton and Iannis Xenakis, and at the Berkshire Music Center (Tanglewood) with Gunther Schuller and Jacob Druckman. In 1974, he received the inaugural John W. Work III Composition Fellowship. Between 1974 and 1994, he worked in creative music education and performed with contemporaries such as William Parker and Hamid Drake. During this period, he also collaborated with institutions including the Lincoln Center Institute and the Guggenheim Museum.^[3]

Nelson's compositions have been commissioned by ensembles including the Kronos Quartet, ASKO/Schoenberg Ensemble, and the Oklahoma Symphony. His works have been performed at international festivals and venues such as Wien Modern, Lucerne Festival, and Rainy Days Festival. Recent works include The New Spring, premiered by the Luzern Symphony Orchestra in May 2025, and Residue of the Heart, performed by Studio Dan in Vienna.^[4]

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