Photo by Christian Mcardle-Hankin
about
Ian Gottlieb is a Los Angeles-based composer and cellist who is deeply curious about the world and passionate about creating evocative music that explores the entirety of the human experience. Known for his ability to weave through many different genres, Ian draws inspiration from diverse lenses that he’s acquired over the years, including playing classical and contemporary music at Yale School of Music and the Royal College of Music, jamming samba in the streets of São Paulo on a Fulbright scholarship, and touring China with experimental rock band Invisible Anatomy. As a film composer, his original music has been featured on Netflix, Disney+, and MGM+, on productions including Chef’s Table and The Witcher. His concert works, written for everything from niche folk instruments to full orchestra, have been performed by Grammy Award winning and nominated classical ensembles and artists including Palaver Strings, Sandbox Percussion, Hilary Summers, and Rhonda Rider, with support from The World Music Institute, New York State Council for the Arts, The Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and ASCAP. Ian co-leads cello ensemble Splntrd Wood, coming off their 2024 concert series featuring his new work, Theory of Change, a full-length album (releasing in 2025) that explores notions of change and flow with meditative and ethereal music that builds to ecstatic moments. A Los Angeles native, Ian likes to grow food in his backyard, cook nourishing meals, and go backpacking, a pastime he considers a vital part of his creative process.