Alberto Kanost, a.k.a. Bear, is the founder of indie folk group Bear In The Forest. This folk group has grown into a perennial act at events, venues, and festivals across the Midwest. Bear was born in New Orleans, grew up in Milwaukee, and has been residing in Madison since his graduation in 2020. He was a participant in UW’s Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives’s Hip Hop and Urban Arts scholarship program First Wave, where he honed his skills as an artist and activist. Bear is classically trained in violin, has refined his vocals with multiple years of choir, and is a self-taught guitarist with over a decade of playing.