Bio & Press — Ali Dineen

“[What You Know] is one of my favorite songs of the past few years and has been a real balm to me. I think the chorus of it speaks to our moment perfectly. It's one of the rare songs that I listen to and think, 'God, I wish I'd thought of that.' ... If I'm alone on that island, I'd pick Ali Dineen because it would give me hope."

—Lin Manuel Miranda

ALI DINEEN is a songwriter and composer from Queens, NY. Known for her deeply introspective and emotionally-driven songs, Ali’s music transcends pop trends, prioritizing authenticity and vulnerability. With compassion and joy, she creates a space where powerful emotional experiences can unfold, fostering connection and community in every song. Her work challenges systems of power and the divisive narratives that separate us from one another and from our own truths. Obsessed with the in-between, Ali explores unresolved questions while creating sonic resolutions to ideas that remain open-ended. An unassuming performer, Ali steps on stage not with a character, but as herself. She invites you into her world, letting you see her as she sees you. Whether slowing down a room or capturing the simplest moments, her presence is magnetic, transforming the ordinary into something extraordinary. Ali is guided by a heart she has practiced listening to, and in doing so, invites others to do the same.

Ali has performed at the Museum of Art and Design, the Caramoor American Roots Music Festival, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Brooklyn Folk Festival, among other wonderful venues. Ali worked as Musician in Residence for Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir from 2022-2024, including on their recent stint opening for Neil Young on his Love Earth Tour. Ali is a 2025 NYSCA Support for Artists Grant Recipient, and was awarded the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Residency in 2020. They are also the Music Director for local puppet troupe extraordinaire The Boxcutter Collective, and are currently working on an opera about Joan of Arc. In addition to writing and performing, Ali teaches vocal harmony and guitar workshops at the Jalopy Theatre and School of Music, as well as several youth choruses at public schools in NYC.

Download: Electronic Press Kit PDF

“Ali’s songs are serious, without any concessions to pop trends, but they are sung with compassion and joy, and I was stunned in rapt attention...She doesn’t follow the structure of resolution and build-up that chord progressions are “supposed” to have, but manages to draw expertly contoured phrases anyway. Joni Mitchell said once in an interview: “...Music is when you pull the chords from your inner core, whether they sound weird to people or not, and anyone adventurous is doing that.” Ali Dineen is adventurous. Her songs show that she is following a heart she has practiced listening to…I’m not sure I’ve seen a more compelling, creative, and impressive musician so steeped in the history of folk music culture, and so truly herself. Watching Ali perform felt like witnessing something absolutely timeless.”

—Elizabeth Varnado, “We Saw Music”

SELECTED PERFORMANCES

Ars Nova, The Loneliness of Either Or, 2025

Neil Young’s Love Earth Tour, with The Stop Shopping Choir (Musical Director, pianist, vocalist), 2024

Flushing Town Hall , The Loneliness of Either Or: A Requiem for Joan of Arc, 2023

Brooklyn Folk Festival, with the Boxcutter Collective, 2023

Philadelphia Fringe Festival, with the Boxcutter Collective, 2023

New York International Puppet Fringe Festival, with Boxcutter Collective, 2023

Joe’s Pub, with the Stop Shopping Choir, 2022, 2023, 2024

New York Botanic Gardens’ “Garden Sets”, 2020

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, with ensemble, 2020

World Festival of Puppet Theater (Charleville, France), with Bread and Puppet Theatre, 2019