A native of Denver, Colorado, Talia Berenbaum is a composer and freelancer based out of Rochester, New York. Her music draws on many sources, combining the avant-garde, Jewish folk music, and traditional European classical music. Her music has been performed by the Eastman Philharmonia, the Lilac Brass Quintet, and at festivals such as New Music on The Point and the 2022 Women in Music Festival in Rochester, and she has received commissions from OSSIA and the Sunrise Duet. Talia has studied composition with Elizabeth Ogonek, Daniel Pesca, Robert Morris, Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez, and Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, and trombone with Mark Kellogg, Tim Smith, and Paul Naslund.

 

A jack of all trades, Talia can be found performing in a variety of settings, including orchestras, new music ensembles, and klezmer bands. She regularly appears with groups like OSSIA, Musica Nova, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble, premiers new works, and freelances in the Finger Lakes region. She is also a founding member of YENTA, an all-women klezmer ensemble serving the Rochester community, which was invited to perform at the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in January 2025. Her wards include First Alternate in the 2025 ATW Solo Competition (Bass Trombone) the Bernard Rogers Memorial Prize, the Belle Gitelman Award, and honorable mention in the Israel-Pellman Prize. She holds a BM in Composition and Trombone Performance with High Distinction from the Eastman School of Music and works towards an MM in Composition there now.

 

In addition to her work as a musician, Talia enjoys hiking, crocheting, and spending time with her dog, Sava.