GRAMMY-winning conductor Alan Pierson has been praised by The New York Times as »a dynamic conductor and musical visionary« and by The New Yorker as »a sensational force« with »powerful ideas about how to renovate the concert experience.« He is the founding Artistic Director and conductor of Alarm Will Sound.

Pierson cultivates deep partnerships with composers such as Donnacha Dennehy, Cassandra Miller, Tyshawn Sorey, Mary Kouyoumdjian, Jlin and many others. His critically acclaimed cross-genre collaborations center diverse artists like multi-hyphenate Taylor Mac, choreographer John Heginbotham, and producer Eartheater.

Pierson’s signature theatrical performances engross audiences in deep and affecting experiences of contemporary music. A premier interpreter of contemporary opera, Pierson leads productions with banner institutions, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, LA Opera, Nationaltheater Mannheim, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notable credits include David T. Little’s and Royce Vavrek’s Dog Days; Mary Kouyoumdjian’s and Royce Vavrek’s GRAMMY-nominated Adoration; and David T. Little’s adaptation for Alarm Will Sound of Garth Greenwell’s acclaimed debut novel, What Belongs to You.

Pierson is Co-Director of the Northwestern University Contemporary Music Ensemble. He served as Artistic Director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic from 2007 to 2015 and as Principal Conductor of Dublin-based Crash Ensemble from 2006 to 2021. A sought-after guest conductor, Pierson has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the London Sinfonietta. He has released more than 30 albums and holds degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Eastman School of Music.

In autumn of 2026, he will direct Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians: Staged Variations at the Park Avenue Armory.