Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He studied composition at Indiana University with John Eaton and Iannis Xenakis. And at the Berkshire Music Center-Tanglewood with Gunther Schuller and Jacob Druckman. He has received commissions from the Kronos Quartet, ASKO/Schoenberg Ensemble, the Brooklyn Philharmonia, the Oklahoma Symphony, The Ensemble Paul Klee, Jose Limon Dance Company, Dale Warland Singers, Ensemble Contrechamps, SUISA, among others. He has received composition grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, (U.S.A.) Fonds Voor De Kunst (Ned.) Fonds Voor Skepende Tonkunst (Ned.) among others He has lived in Switzerland since 1994. He's a composer as well as an improviser on trumpet.
