Warren Benson
Info
Detroit, Michigan
10/06/2005
Rochester, New York
USA
20th Century
Vocal, Orchestral, Chamber, Choral, Wind Ensemble
Biography
He was awarded two Fulbright grants to teach at Anatolia College in Salonika, Greece from 1950-1952. He organized the Anatolia College Chorale, the first scholastic co-ed choral group in that country, and established a five-year bilingual music curriculum. He then spent 14 years at Ithaca College and, in 1953, organized the first touring percussion ensemble in the eastern United States. He came to Eastman School of Music as professor of composition from 1967-1993. He was honored with an Alumni Citation for Excellence, the Kilbourn professorship for distinguished teaching, and was named University Mentor. He was appointed Professor Emeritus in 1994.
Throughout this period, Benson was commissioned by over 80 major artists and ensembles, including the United States Marine Band, the International Horn Society, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York Choral society, the Bishop Ireton Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Kronos Quartet.
Benson's compositions (nearly 150) tended to feature percussion and many have been recorded with significant performances in over 40 countries. His genre included solo instruments and voice, chamber ensembles, choirs, bands, and orchestras. His awards included the John Simon Guggenheim Composer Fellowship, a Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association, many ASCAP Serious Music Awards, and three National Endowment for the Arts composer commissions. He was elected to the National Band Association Academy of Excellence and the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.
In addition to his published music, Warren Benson also was a commissioned and published poet and writer of humorous fiction. Even after retirement, he continued to publish his works, including " …And My Daddy Will Play the Drums: Limericks for Friends of Drummers" in 1999. As an author and lecturer, Benson was in demand worldwide and his writings have been translated into Spanish and Japanese and he has lectured in Spanish and Greek. Warren Benson's bio-bibliography was published in 2005 by the Edwin Mellen Press. He died on Thursday, October 6, 2005 at the age of 81.
Main Works
Chamber Works:
March: Encore for Woodwind Quintet (1947)
Variations on a Handmade Theme (1955)
Quintet for Oboe or Soprano Sax and String Quartet (1957)
Trio For Percussion (1957)
Allegretto - Percussion Quartet (1959)
Invocation and Dance (1960)
Streams (1964)
Wind Rose (1966)
String Quartet No. 1 (1969)
Canon for Tuba and Hand Drum (1971)
Capriccio (1971)
The Dream Net (1974)
Largo Tah (1978)
Thorgard's Song (1983)
The Red Lion (1988)
Steps (1989
Choral:
Psalm XXIV (Psalm 24) (1959)
An Englishman with an Atlas (1968)
Song of the Pop-Bottlers (1970)
The Cherry Tree / The Singers (1974)
Earth, Sky, Sea, Trees, Birds, House, Beasts, Flowers (1975)
Two Sea Poems (1976)
I Lately Lost a Preposition (1979)
Spirit Enchantment (1979)
Dozen Alleluias (1980)
If That The Peace of God (1982)
The Singers / The Cherry Tree (1983)
The Hearth Within (1985)
They Brought A Joyful Song (1985)
Psalm 139 "Gates of Repentance" (1991)
Sing and Rejoice (1997)
Instrumental Solos:
Three Macedonian Miniatures - Piano (1951)
Evening Piece - Oboe or English Horn (1952)
Aeolian Song - Alto Saxophone (1953)
Song and Dance - Bassoon (1953)
A Gentle Song - Clarinet (1953)
Cantilena - Alto Saxophone (1954)
Aubade - Trombone (1956)
Prologue - Trumpet (1956)
Arioso - Tuba (1958)
Three Dances for Solo Snare Drum (1961)
If I Could Be...Four Daydreams - Piano (1963)
Recipe For A Little Girl - Piano (1963)
Farewell - Alto Saxophone (1964)
Humorous Not Without Merit - Piano (1985)
Orchestra:
Theme and Excursions (1960)
The Man with the Blue Guitar (1980)
Beyond Winter: Sweet Aftershowers (1981)
Solo/Soli with Large Ensemble:
Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Band (1955)
Star Edge for Alto Saxphone (1965)
Helix for Tuba (1966)
Recuerdo for Oboe/English Horn (1966)
Shadow Wood (Six Poems of Tennessee Williams) (1968)
Song Cycles & Solo Songs:
Three Solitary Songs (1964)
Shadow Wood (1968)
Nara (1970)
Five Lyrics of Louise Bogan (1977)
Songs for the End of the World (1980)
Hills, Woods, Brook: Three Love Songs (1982)
Wind Ensemble:
Transylvania Fanfare (1953)
Polyphonies for Percussion (1960)
Rememberance (1962)
Symphony for Drums and Wind Orchestra (1962)
The Leaves are Falling (1963)
The Solitary Dancer (1966)
The Mask of Night (1969)
The Passing Bell (1974)
Ginger Marmalade (1978)
Symphony 2: Lost Songs (1983)
Wings (1984)
Dawn's Early Light (1987)
Meditation on " I Am For Peace" (1990)
Danzon-Memory (1991)
Adagietto (1992)
Divertissement No. 1 (1993)
Daughter of the Stars (1998)