Antonio Caballero was born and raised in Flint, MI, and attended the Flint Institute of Music for his early musical training. There, he started piano lessons with Dr. Quincy Dobbs, which began to shift to composition lessons as the years progressed. During these years, Antonio also played the trumpet in several extra curricular ensembles, and was given the opportunity to compose for the Flint Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Flint Youth Wind Ensemble, solidifying a love for composition and close collaboration with performers early on. Starting his Music Education Degree with the trumpet initially, Antonio soon switched to piano to help focus his studies on his oldest instrument. Learning piano from Ida Leschinsyka, Dr. Genadi Zagor, and Dr. Katena Dinas, Antonio studied the works of many master composers, learning standard keyboard repertoire as well as composing his own works for performances throughout his college years. Working closely with the Jazz faculty at the University of Michigan-Flint, Antonio was able to premiere several new compositions for mixed Jazz Combo during his time as a student (leading on both trumpet and piano), and was awarded the Gerret Ebmeyer Scholarship for Trumpet performance, the Charles Brownwell Scholarship for Piano performance, and the Donn Wyant Music Scholarship for Jazz performance and composition, in addition to several academic scholarships.Post Graduation, Antonio moved to Marquette, MI, to find the right mix between creative solace and financial support. He currently teaches middle-school band and choir at a K-8 private school in downtown Marquette.He has performed most recently with the Marquette Symphony Orchestra on Trumpet and Piano, and with the Westerly Winds Big Band as a Trumpet Player. He regularly performs around Marquette venues with his contemporary jazz band, The Kitchen Sink, as a pianist, trumpeter, and guitar player.Antonio spends the majority of his time composing contemporary classical music and post-bop jazz, writing poetry and antics about the frustrations and joys of living in the 21st century, and hiking in the deep and cold woods around Marquette County. Outside of creative thinking, his main passions lie in the outdoors, through camping, exploring wildlife, and hiking. Antonio can often be found in the woods around his home with a fishing pole, pair of binoculars, and a book. Composing in the wilderness is one of his favorite pastimes, and he will often go for extended trips alone into the woods to work and think about music.