In addition to his performing career, Eli Uttal-Veroff is invested in being an arranger and composer. He writes music for a wide variety of ensembles and styles. His works range from solo bass arrangements through chamber orchestra pieces, and include everything in between. Recently his works have included a collaboration between his jazz quintet and string quartet, an atonal composition utilizing the rare combination of clarinet, flugelhorn, and euphonium, and a project overdubbing strings, brass, woodwinds, and harp onto previously recorded songs.

The Optimistic Pessimist

Uttal-Veroff draws influence from a wide variety of sources. He has studied composition with Dr. Matt Pivec, Dave Rivello and Bill Dobbins. Eli has been heavily influenced by the works of Bob Brookmeyer, Ben Allison, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Gerry Mulligan, and MPB (Música Popular Brasileira). Additionally, he often focuses on writing music that combines traditional forms and sensibilities with a modern twist. He also enjoys blurring the lines between Classical and Jazz composition, which reflects his dual upbringing between the two idioms.