Kieran Casey is a biracial composer and ethnomusicologist originally from Richmond, Virginia, now based in Los Angeles, California. His compositional voice reflects a wide range of musical influences and lived experiences, drawing inspiration from Black hymns, folk song, jazz, marching drum corps, and anime music. Rooted in a passion for storytelling, his music seeks to create timeless narrative experiences, shaped by childhood memories of listening to his brother play guitar and the beautiful worlds of anime.

Casey earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and Composition from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2023, followed by a Master of Music in Film and Video Game Scoring from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University in 2026. His growth within the program at the Peabody Institute led Casey to be awarded the CTNHappenings 2025 Fabrizio Mancinelli Animation Music Scholarship as well as professional research opportunities within the field of ethnomusicology.

His passions for film scoring and cultural research intersect throughout his projects. In 2022, Casey's first major produced short film, The Tale of Two Brothers, was released. Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, the film explores themes of religion, power, and government corruption. He recently composed for two Black-centered documentaries, BackStage: The Homecoming HBCU Fashion Show and Mrs. Willie, the story of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Secretary. Drawing on his training in ethnomusicology, Casey approaches composition with a people-first perspective, using historical and cultural research to inform his musical choices and deepen the authenticity of each project.

In Fall 2026, Casey will begin his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Riverside, where his research will focus on the influence of Black culture within Japanese anime, exploring the cultural parallels and exchanges that emerge between these two spaces.

Alongside music, Casey loves to cook, play rugby and volleyball, and watch a lot of anime!