The musicians of Alash are Nachyn Choodu, Ayan-ool Sam, Ayan Shirizhik, and Bady-Dorzhu Ondar, all of whom were trained in traditional Tuvan music since childhood. Bady-Dorzhu Ondar and Ayan-ool Sam both studied with master throat singer Kongar-ool Ondar at the Republic School for the Arts in Kyzyl. In 1999, when the young musicians were students at the Kyzyl Arts College, they started a group called Changy-Xaya that became the resident traditional ensemble at the school. At the same time, however, they were learning harmony, theory, staff notation and western classical music.