Omar Surillo (b. 1979 San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a composer and multi-instrumentalist from the Orlando area. He has performed nationally and internationally in various ensembles ranging from classical to rock.
Omar gave birth to his musical nucleus at the age of five when he began taking piano lessons in San Juan, PR. Soon after, he learned to play the guitar, followed by alto saxophone and drumset. Between 2000 and 2004, he toured extensively as a drummer and guitarist for rock groups Mashlin, Unsung Zeros and Agent Felix -opening for acts such as the Ataris, Thursday, MxPx, and Yellowcard. Feeling that being in a commercial band constrained his musical aspirations, he decided to leave those restrictions behind to pursue music theory and composition.
He went on to receive his undergraduate degree from Stetson University, where he studied composition with Sydney Hodkinson and Manuel de Murga. While at Stetson, Omar was awarded the title of Stetson Piano Scholar (2006), selected as an associate artist for the Atlantic Center for the Arts (2007), and inducted into the music honor society, Pi Kappa Lambda (2007).
After graduating magna cum laude in December of 2008, Omar went on to teach music theory fundamentals at Stetson University and a course in composition and songwriting at Valencia College. In the Spring of 2011, Omar graduated from the Yale School of Music, where he studied composition with Martin Bresnick, Aaron Jay Kernis, Ingram Marshall, Jack Vees and Christopher Theofanidis.
Currently, Omar resides in New Haven, CT where teaches composition classes at ACES Educational Center for the Arts (ECA), along with private composition/songwriting lessons in Long Island, NY. He remains an active composer in the Tri-State area and is currently in the process of developing a recording studio for new music and thriving artists.
