“I like to think of myself as a ‘fuser of worlds’ and a boundary destroyer. With every piece, my goal is to always create a place where all can meet themselves in some way, as an invitation to explore their own curiosity or to reflect on deep, complex issues throughout history and our time. Whether in a lighthearted or deeply visceral way, I want to hold up a mirror for people to see that there is humanity beneath the masks we wear, and that grace always leads to the discovery of inherent goodness.”
–Brian 

At the heart of Nabors’ music is a deeply visceral and spiritual creative process rooted in emotion, intention, and lived experience, anchored to a broader contemplation of the human condition and our place within the natural and cosmic world. He treats composition as a form of sonic meditation—a trance-like practice in which musical ideas are channeled from a steady stream of spiritual energy and gradually revealed. These impulses are often activated by memory, story, and place: the resonance of a church sanctuary, the stillness of lakes and expansive landscapes, fellowship among friends & loved ones, or the quiet vastness of an open sky. Such moments are not approached as nostalgia, but as living musical material, shaping rhythm, harmony, color, and gesture while reflecting a continuum of scale—from the smallest living organism to the immensity of the universe itself. Nabors recognizes and shapes music once it appears, tuning into ideas already in motion, guided first by feeling and imagery, with technique serving as a catalyst for realization. Through this process, his compositions become shared environments where memory, belief, and existential inquiry converge, inviting listeners to receive what the music offers them—whether inspiration, comfort, contemplation, or peace.

The son of a church musician & pastor, Brian Raphael Nabors was surrounded by an incredible wealth of musical activity. His unique upbringing thrust him into the worlds of R&B/Neo Soul, Jazz, Funk and Black marching band culture. Before declaring a major in architecture, he pivoted and embraced his passion for musical creation, pursuing a life in music. Throughout his educational journey, his interest in modern music grew widely and led him to exploring new ways of fusing sound worlds. 

This adventurous, innovative spirit has led to the creation of cutting-edge works, including a “Concerto for Hammond Organ” and a thrilling “Concerto for Orchestra“ that embraces nearly every sector of the American soundscape.

Nabors’ music has been performed by the Boston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Munich Symphony, & Chineke!, among others. His music has been performed at many venues and events internationally, including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Helsinki Festival, and the Lucerne Festival. In the United States: Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Grant Park Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, Texas Music Educators Association Conference and International Double Reed Society. He has also worked with artists such as the Atlanta Chamber Players, Apollo Chamber Players, Dallas's Voices of Change, Boston Musica Viva and the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings.

Nabors is the recipient of the 2025 A.I. duPont Composition Award from the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, 2024 Young Alumni Award recipient from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, 2020 Fulbright Fellowship recipient to Sydney, Australia, 2021 Tanglewood composition fellow, 2019 Nashville Symphony composer fellow, 2019 ACO Earshot composer fellow with the Detroit Symphony, and 2019 national grand prize winner of the Rapido! Composition Contest.

He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and Masters Degree in composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he studied with Douglas Knehans, Ellen Ruth Harrison and Miguel A. Roig-Francolí. He holds a Bachelor of Music Theory & composition degree from the School of the Arts at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, where he studied composition with Sarana Chou and piano with Kathryn Fouse.

He is currently Assistant Professor of Composition at the Louisiana State University School of Music.