MJ HALCO-HAACK is a composer from Chicago, Illinois. Halco- Haack composes for chamber ensemble, concert band, and film, and enjoys exploring new genres and instrumentations. Her work has been performed and premiered around the United States as well as internationally. Most recently, Halco-Haack enjoyed the world premiere of her piece Iowan Vignette in Belgrade, Serbia in 2023. In 2022, her collaborative work Together, Triumphant was performed in Rochester, MI, in partnership with the initiative And We Were Heard. She graduated with a Bachelor's in Music Composition from Northern Illinois University in 2015, and a Master's in Music Composition from George Mason University 2018. She studied composition with Dr. Ted Hatmaker, Professor Mark Camphouse, and Dr. Jesse Guessford, and studied euphonium with Charlie Schuchat and Dr. Mark Jenkins.