An Interview with Wynn-Anne Rossi

June 10, 2026| Alfred Music Official

Wynn-Anne Rossi is a Minnesota-based composer and pianist who has been writing for Alfred Music for 20 years. A self-described "piano poet," she has spent her career opening composition and self-expression to musicians of all ages and levels — a legacy she traces all the way back to making up stories at the piano with her mom.

Q: How did you first discover your passion for composing?

My earliest memories are at the piano, making up stories with my mom. We loved to chase each other around the keyboard, pretending to be different animals. Fairy tales came alive in wondrous ways as I contrasted a princess sound with an ogre sound. Composing became a natural language, far more dramatic and interesting than words. Gotta say, it's still my favorite language!

Q: Who has shaped how you think about music?

It certainly started with family. We never had a meal without music. My dad loved his record collection, and I remember breakfasts with Madame Butterfly and dinners with Dave Brubeck. Each piano teacher had a profound influence, primarily when it came to listening. "Listen when you play! No, LISTEN." Training myself to deeply listen helped me fall in love with different composers. Rather than loving a general style, I began to love specific measures. Loving specific moments in music shaped my own particular taste.

Q: What was the first piece you wrote that made you think, "I might actually be onto something here"?

I never took myself seriously until a teacher submitted one of my compositions towards a teen scholarship. I was absolutely shocked when I got a free adventure to a music camp at the University of Illinois. I was also absolutely shocked when I had my first publication. My whole musical career has been a long string of shocks. I am forever grateful.

Q: What's the hardest creative problem you've ever had to solve in your work, and how did you get through it?

There are a number of these, so it's hard to pick just one. Composition IS problem solving. But one of my biggest challenges was my first residency with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, teaching low-income/high-energy elementary students to compose in a room of broken instruments. The ultimate goal was to turn their musical ideas into an orchestra piece to be premiered by this outstanding orchestra. It was a nightmare at first. Then it became worse and WORSE still ... until it became a dream come true for everyone involved. I still get tired thinking about it. I have no idea how I got through it, though I had some dynamite friends who cheered me on!

Q: How has your compositional voice changed over the years? Is there anything you used to believe about writing music that you've since changed your mind on?

I think I've relaxed my ideas about my compositional voice. At the beginning, I wanted to be a Rachmaninoff or a Gershwin. But I'm Wynn-Anne. My voice is curious so it keeps changing, and I'm much happier writing short works for piano than longer, obsessively difficult works. Perhaps this is because I'm innately lazy. Or perhaps I'm just more of a piano poet. Epic works drain me.

Q: Do you have a favorite piece on Alfred.com? What was the spark behind it?

Hmmmm. I'm asked this a lot, and it's a really hard question. I love Winter Illuminations because it feels like such a tribute to Winter in Minnesota. But how do I leave out the variety in One of a Kind or Musica Latina or Jazzin' Americana? Creative Composition Toolbox is perhaps the most important as it encourages everyone to make music. I don't know. Each composition has its own spark, its own purpose, its own passion. And each time a piece comes alive for a student, it's pure magic!

Q: Where are you based, and how does your environment influence your work?

Minnesota has been a huge influence in my life. Lakes, rivers, trees, snow ... all can be found in my music. But more than that, this area has given me an incredible feeling of friendship and safety. I am a composer who thrives when I'm relaxed, not stressed. Angst is NOT my muse. The people of Minnesota have been an incredible family to me.

Q: How do you spend most of your working hours?

My musical life continues to be an ever-shifting landscape. Composing wins today, but I have a Spring recital coming up. Teaching will take front stage for a couple of weeks. Then who knows where my focus will land in a month??? I enjoy being on the latter end of my career as the hunger for work isn't so crucial. It's all about desserts these days!

Q: Where did you study, and how much of what you do today traces back to your formal training versus what you figured out on your own?

I bopped around with my studies: University of Colorado for theory/composition, University of Illinois for jazz, Harvard University for choral conducting. I've also worked with some dynamite teachers: Tony Caramia, Aaron Jay Kernis. But if I'm honest, I'm primarily self-taught. I'm good at listening, but I'm not particularly good at following rules.

Q: How long have you been publishing with Alfred, and how did that relationship start?

I've been writing for Alfred for 20 years. Wow. And I was with FJH for 15 years before that. One of my first big breaks with Alfred was the opportunity to write the Musica Latina series. The editors were looking for someone to capture the complexities of Latin styles, beginning at very early levels. Not easy and never attempted in the piano literature! But saying YES was the beginning of an incredible, happy journey for me.

Q: Outside of composing, is there another role in music that's been just as central to who you are?

Teaching composition and self-expression has been central to my life. Many of my lectures, publications and residencies have centered around opening composition to ALL musicians, starting from a very early age. I smile to think it's a legacy to my mom.

Q: How has the music education publishing world changed since you started, and how has that shaped what you write?

This is complex and worth a thesis. Music publishing is always facing a new issue. First it was photo-copies. Next it was screen sharing and lender libraries. Now it's AI. I came in at the height of piano music hunger. There was so much missing from our literature in the 1980s and 1990s. Those of us who were lucky enough to arrive at that time had endless music to write, deriving new inspiration from jazz, pop, world music, and more. We filled a void at the time. It is so much more fun to be a piano teacher today! That isn't to say that there isn't more to write! I'm just grateful I came in when I did.

Q: What's a type of piece or repertoire gap you think the industry still hasn't figured out yet?

There is still more to do with self-expression in an easy, teacher-friendly format. Teachers are still hesitant about creativity beyond the written page. Students crave ownership of their musical identities. Improvising and making original music in a no-pressure way is a learning tool with lasting power.

Q: What do you want your body of work to add up to?

Creativity and curiosity are crucial in our world. The through-line is the next generation. Adaptation is crucial. This means a new wave of music-makers and ever-changing choices for new sounds and styles. Being part of this turbulent process of growth is an honor.