Antonio Gentile – Composer – Saxophonist

The upbeat, rock-driven songs of Sonic Adventure 2, along with the orchestral arrangements of classic Nintendo tracks in Super Smash Bros. Melee, were the genesis for Antonio Gentile’s passion for music at an early age. Inspired by the energy and catchy melodies of game soundtracks, he began exploring music more deeply after discovering Duran Duran’s “Rio”, which led him to pick up the saxophone. What began as a fascination with the sounds of his favorite games soon evolved into a lifelong creative pursuit.

As Antonio’s musicianship grew, so did his curiosity about composition. He developed a body of work for chamber ensembles and saxophone, gradually expanding into studio composition and, more recently, chiptune music—bringing him full circle back to the video game sounds that first inspired him. This progression laid the groundwork for his current passion project: Tunes Through Time, a rhythm game that explores the history of video game music.

Tunes Through Time bridges Antonio’s love of video games with his expertise in composition. The game features original tracks written using modern sample libraries, and software that emulates retro consoles, which are integrated into the game engine via MIDI. Initially conceived as part of his undergraduate thesis, the project has since evolved into a long-term endeavor, allowing him to not only write music in a meaningful context but also develop skills in interactive media and game design.

Antonio’s music has been performed and recorded by ensembles across the United States, such as Akropolis Reed Quintet, Dali String Quartet, counter)induction, Singularity Saxophone Quartet, and The Network for New Music.

Antonio is a graduate of West Chester University, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in Music Composition and Studio Music Composition. He studied composition under numerous faculty members at the university, including Kevin Laskey, Jacob Cooper, Mark Rimple, Robert Maggio, and Sabrina Clarke, and studied saxophone under Jonathan Ragonese. Antonio is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Film and Video Game Scoring at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.