Described by Textura as “that rare composer whose music manages to be instantly listenable and emotionally resonant without any compromise to its sophistication,” Jennifer Bellor is a versatile composer whose music draws on a variety of influences. Some of her favorite projects have included collaborations with classical and jazz musician, visual artists, animators, videographers, radio actors, and robotic arm engineers. In addition to composing music for various soloists and ensembles, some recent projects have been more eclectic, whether it be including period instruments, such as the five-string baroque cello, fortepiano, and pump organ, featuring a robotic arm on stage, or writing music for a live radio drama. Her music has been presented by Washington National Opera, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Clocks in Motion Percussion, American Composers Orchestra Jazz Composer Orchestra Institute Readings, Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra featuring Grace Kelly, Carnegie Hall DCINY Series, Transient Canvas, Eastman New Jazz Ensemble, UNLV Wind Orchestra, Eastman Saxophone Project, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Saxophone Ensemble, A/Tonal, Sonic Cluster Duo, Elevate Ensemble, and many other soloists, chamber groups, and large ensembles in the US and abroad.

As the resident clock shop composer for the percussion quartet Clocks in Motion from 2018-2022, Bellor composed three percussion quartets, which culminated in a new album released by Aerocade Music August 19, 2022. After a performance of her first multi-movement percussion quartet work Of Maker and Movement, Cleveland Classical stated, “The simple, yet detailed beauty of the sounds, some motoric, others melodic, was arresting. Bellor writes ravishingly and imaginatively for percussion.” Coinciding with the release of the new album was the premiere of an animation created by Christine Banna paired with Bellor’s most recent percussion quartet composition, also titled Oneira. The music video was featured on I Care if You Listen, and it was officially selected for screenings at the Brooklyn SciFi Film Festival, the SFC Film Festival in Australia, and was a finalist for best music film at the Munich music video festival.

Bellor has also received recognition for many of her compositions and has three commercially released albums featuring her original music. Her debut album Stay (2016), which is a melting pot of different music styles largely based on poetry, was featured on NewMusicBox’s 2016 Staff picks and was praised as having the ability to “maintain a highly individual identity without needing to take refuge in pre-post-genre musical silos.” The first track, Chase the Stars, received acclaim not only for its “dazzling eclecticism” combining opera, hip hop, and jazz, but also for her singing. It was awarded The American Prize (2016) in the orchestral category. Her second album, “Reflections at Dusk,” showcases instrumental music inspired by the Nevada sunsets and has been described as “crepuscular,” “mystical,” and “magical.” It was released by Innova Recordings November 2019, and nabbed the #20 spot in the classical/opera category in textura’s 2020 year-end roundup. Other prizes and recognition have included the Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra Composition prize for Noir, IAWM prizes for her wind orchestra and jazz piece, Bordello Nights and Skylark Lullaby, Elevate Ensemble’s Call-for-Score winner for Moments Shared, Moments Lost, Music Now Contest winner for Crystalline to be featured at the ISU Contemporary music festival, Downbeat Award for Midnight Swim, and selections at many other festivals and conferences including for music to be featured at festivals including FSU Biennial Festival of New Music, Hildegard Festival, Missouri State University Composition Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Finland’s Kaarina Week, and many others.

Born and raised in Northern NY, Bellor earned a Ph.D. in music composition at Eastman School of Music, a Master of Music degree in composition at Syracuse University, and a bachelor of arts degree in music at Cornell University. Her primary composition teachers included David Liptak, Bob Morris, Andrew Waggoner, Sally Lamb-McCune, and Steven Stucky. She is on the music composition faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, coordinator of the composition division, and artistic director of the new music series, Nextet.