Benjamin D. Taylor is is a composer of contemporary art music. His energetic and adventurous music provides a uniquely refreshing sonic experience for performers and audiences alike.Trained as a trumpet player and pianist, he performs with and writes music for a variety of chamber ensembles, jazz combos and big bands, wind bands, orchestras, choirs, and experimental ensembles. Much of Mr. Taylor's music includes electronic elements - from prerecorded sounds to live, interactive electronics using Max/MSP.
The Latest News!
Recent Honor - ACO Underwood New Music Readings 2012
Ben has been selected as a participant in the American Composers Orchestra Underwood New Music Readings! His work, Leaving White, will be publicly presented at 7:30pm on June 2, 2012 at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York City. For more information: http://www.americancomposers.org/rel2012060102.html
Recent Premiere - Digital Assistant by Cody Takacs
Digital Assistant was commissioned by Cody Takacs and premiered in April 2012. This piece combines live contrabass, electronic sounds, and theatre in a unique and lighthearted way requiring the bassist to act, speak, and perform extended techniques on the bass that are outside of the normal repertoire. This composition offers commentary on contemporary art music, electronic music, modern technology, and modern contrabass performance practice.
Click here for video
Click here for video
Recent Premiere - Panic Later
Panic Later was premiered in Bloomington, Indiana on November 1, 2011.
The full recording is on youtube here.
Heidi Siberz - Tenor Saxophone
Gennie Clarkson - Tuba
Collin Marone - Electric Guitar
Ross Erickson - Vibes and Trash Can
The full recording is on youtube here.
Heidi Siberz - Tenor Saxophone
Gennie Clarkson - Tuba
Collin Marone - Electric Guitar
Ross Erickson - Vibes and Trash Can
Recent International Performance-
Keen Awareness was selected for performance by the U.S.O Project in Milan, Italy on a concert titled "Sonic Screens". Keen Awareness (2010) is a two-channel tape piece using minimally processed recordings of sharp objects; knives, saw blades, vegetable peeler, pizza cutter, scissors etc. The performance will take place on November 26, 2011 at the venue called O'.
Recent International Performance-
The CYE ContemporarY Ensemble performed Non-REM Sleep for chamber ensemble in Malmoe, Sweden on October 31, 2011. For more information click here.
Mr. Taylor received a commission from the Barlow Endowment to compose a new work for the Omaha Symphony. Please visit the Barlow Endowment Website for more details.
barlow.byu.edu
barlow.byu.edu
Recent Award-
Mr. Taylor was awarded a BMI Student Composers Award in New York City on May 13, 2011 for his work 7 Million Results.
For the official press release from BMI, click here
Click here to listen to an excerpt from 7 Million Results
For the official press release from BMI, click here
Click here to listen to an excerpt from 7 Million Results
Recent Commission-
The Toledo Symphony Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Philharmonic have jointly commissioned a new orchestral work by Mr. Taylor to be premiered May 12, 2012 at Orchestra Hall in Detriot, Michigan. Another TBD performance will occur in the Peristyle Concert Hall in Toledo, Ohio. Both youth orchestras are directed by Kenneth Thompson.
Recent Commission-
The Bowling Green State University Trombone Choir, under the direction of Dr. William Mathis, has commissioned Ben to compose a new work for their performance at the Ohio Music Education Association Conference on February 17, 2012 in Columbus , Ohio.
Recent Honor-
First Punch, for contrabass and electroacoustic sounds, was selected for performance at Electronic Music Midwest.and Electroacoustic Barn Dance. Will Hack performed the U.S. premiere at EMM in Kansas City, Kansas on September 30, 2011 and Scot Fitzsimmons performed the work at EABD.
For a look at the score, click here
To listen to an excerpt, click here
For a look at the score, click here
To listen to an excerpt, click here
Recent collaborative project-
As War As Dance, a short abstract film done with artist Jacob Pierzchala, was chosen for inclusion in the ArtPrize festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This festival runs from September 21 - October 9, 2011. You can watch the video in person at the venue Purple East or online.
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Recent Honor/Premiere-
Panic Later was selected for performance in the Cleveland Chamber Symphony Orchestra Young and Emerging Composers Concert! CCS, under the direction of Steven Smith, gave the premier performance on May 9, 2011 at 7:30pm in the Glick Recital Hall, Cleveland Ohio.
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Recent Honor-
Ben entered Indiana University's doctoral program in August, 2011.
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Recent Award-
Benjamin Taylor was named a winner in the 2011 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Contest for his composition High Road.
For the official press release click here
To watch a short clip of High Road click here
For the official press release click here
To watch a short clip of High Road click here
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Recent Commission-
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Wind Symphony, Dr. Kenneth Thompson, conductor, commissioned Ben to compose Whiz-Bang which was premiered on May 8, 2011 in Orchestra Hall, Detroit Michigan.
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Recent Commission-
French contrabassist Yann Dubost, commissioned Ben to compose to a work for contrabass and electronics titled First Punch for premier performance on February 20, 2011 at the Espace Multimedia Gantner in Bourogne, France. A second performance ocurred within the musical season of the Ensemble I'Itinéraire in Paris, France (Auditorium St-Germain), on March 1, 2011.
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Recent Premiere-
The Brigham Young University Wind Symphony, under the direction of Don Peterson, premiered Air on February 25, 2011 in Provo Utah.
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Recent Commission-
The Brigham Young University Symphony Orchestra premiered Leaving White on December 1, 2010 in the de Jong Concert Hall in Provo, Utah. Eric Hansen, conductor, asked Ben to compose the piece based on Ben's recent study with Joseph Schwantner at the 2010 Omaha Symphony New Music Symposium.
Here are a few pictures from the concert.
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Recent Honor-
Silounds (percussion and interactive electroacoustics) was selected for performance at the SEAMUS 2011 National Conference.
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Recent Honor-
Keen Awareness (stereo electroacoustics) was selected for performance at the Noisefloor 2011 Electronic Music Festival held at Staffordshire University, United Kingdom January 12-14, 2011.
To Raise Up was performed by Jeff Heisler (tenor saxophone) and I-Chen Yeh (piano) on Saturday September 18, 2010 as part of the THRESHOLD electro-acoustic festival. For more information about Jeff Heisler, visit his website by clicking here.
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Recent Honor/Award-
The Omaha Symphony selected Mr. Taylor's composition "Leap" as a winning entry in the Omaha Symphony Symposium in June 1-3, 2010. He was one of six composers offered a position as an auditor. Joseph Schwantner was the composer-in-residence.
Joseph Schwantner and Benjamin Taylor at the Omaha Symphony New Music Symposium. June 3, 2010.
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Recent Award/Performance- Mr. Taylor's composition for jazz big band entitled, "High Road," originally commissioned by Synthesis for their UK tour, has been selected for performance at the 2010 SCI National Conference. The piece will be performed by the USC Left Bank Big Band under the direction of Bert Ligon.
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Recent Award/Performance- Mr. Taylor's composition "Silounds", for percussion and live electronics was selected for performance at the 2010 SPARK Festival of Electronic Music and Arts.
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Recent Premiere- Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, ensemble Terra Nova commissioned Ben to compose a new work for their trio consisting of soprano voice, double bass and percussion. The piece is entitled, "7 Million Results (in 0.19 seconds)" and was premiered at the 6th Biennial Hawaii Contrabass Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii on March 24, 2010. Click here to visit the Hawaii Contrabass Festival website.
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Recent Honor- Mr. Taylor's composition "FE26" was selected for performance on the 2010 SEAMUS conference! The performance took place on April 8, 2010 in St. Cloud, MN and was performed by Rolf Erdahl.
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Recent Honor/Performance- "Go Now! You MUST Go Now!" has been programed on the International Double Reed Society (IDRS) 2010 Conference! It will be performed by Jacqueline Leclair and the Bowling Green College of Musical Arts Oboe Quartet on June 22, 2010. This piece is being distributed by Trevco Music and Gail Warnaar music. Click below for a direct link to the piece on Trevco Music's site.
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Recent Premiere - "Silounds" was premiered by Ellery Trafford on his master's recital April 19, 2010. "Silounds" was written for Ellery and is for bass drum, suspended cymbal and live electroacoustics (using Max/MSP). Ben performs regularly with Ellery in a quartet called "Entropy Ensemble" which focuses on the spontaneous creation of sound.
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Collaboration with Visual Artist Mike Yeager
Ben collaborated with Mike Yeager, a visual artist who designed and constructed several of his own instruments. Mike's work was featured in an exhibit running for two weeks starting on April 23, 2010 in the Bowling Green State University Art Building, Main Winkleman Gallery. A live musical performance took place incorporating Ben's music and Mike's instruments on Friday April 23, 2010 at 7:00PM.
The plants pictured on the left are one type of percussive instrument Mike has designed.
The plants pictured on the left are one type of percussive instrument Mike has designed.
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Recent Honor/Performance-
"Taksu" was selected for performance at the GAMMA UT New Music Festival on March 27, 2010 on the campus of The University of Texas as Austin. Click here to visit the conference website.
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Copyright Benjamin Taylor. All Rights Reserved 2009.
