Owen Axelberd is a Bachelor of Music student at the Cleveland Institute of Music studying composition with Keith Fitch. His works aim to bridge gaps and forge connections between genres beyond classical music. An example of this genre bending flavor can be heard in his Bluegrass-inflected piece Drive Down I-81, which premiered at Mostly Modern Festival in 2025. Recent works have been performed by Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Cleveland Composers Guild, Greater Cleveland Flute Society, and Hiland High School Band. Most recently, his piece Snake Oil Trip, commissioned by Grammy-nominated cellist Dave Eggar, won first prize in the 2026 Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Collegiate Composers Contest.