Biography
The music of Benjamin Dean Taylor (born 1983), has been described as “elegant and energetic” (Kenneth Thompson) and “powerful and direct with delightful surprises in each work.” (Marilyn Shrude) Having grown up as a performer in jazz, rock, ska, country, and concert bands as well as in choirs and orchestras, Taylor is driven to write music that highlights the strengths of each performing ensemble. His catalog of more than 100 works covers a large range of styles and genres including music written for orchestra, wind band, opera, choir, jazz big band, gamelan, chamber ensembles, and soloists with live electronics. Further, Taylor has written music for multimedia collaborations with dancers, filmmakers, poets, and visual artists.
Taylor has received commissions from ensembles including the Calidore String Quartet, Omaha Symphony, Solaire Saxophone Quartet, New World Youth Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Wind Symphony. His music has been performed by ensembles around the world including the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, Kenari Quartet, L’ensemble Itineraire, Nurnberg Hochschulorchester and has been championed by soloists Keith Kirchoff, Zach Herchen, and Scotty Stepp. As a sought-after composer for wind band, Taylor has been commissioned by over 100 band directors of players at all educational levels.
Recently named a recipient of a commission from the Barlow Endowment, Taylor’s prizes and honors include Winner in the 2013 Ticheli Composition Contest, a grant from the Indiana Arts Council (2015), Dean’s Prize in Composition from Indiana University (2013), BMI Student Composers Award (2011), Winner in the American Composers Orchestra Underwood New Music Readings (2012), and an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award (2011). His music has received performances at festivals including the College Band Directors National Association Conference, Society of Electroacoustic Music in the United States National Conference, Society of Composers National Conference, International Society of Bassists Conference, International Double Reed Society Conference, Scandinavian Saxophone Festival, and international jazz festivals in Edinburgh, Marlborough and Birmingham. His compositions have been featured on the radio and television including NPR’s “Says You.”
Benjamin Taylor completed a doctorate degree from Indiana University and holds degrees from Bowling Green State University (MM) and Brigham Young University (BA). His principal teachers have included David Dzubay, Don Freund, Claude Baker, Jeffrey Hass, Marilyn Shrude, Elaine Lillios, Christian Asplund, Neil Thornock, and Steven Ricks. When not composing, Taylor can be found playing in his Dixieland jazz band, leading community bucket drumming groups, hiking, running, cooking, and camping with his family. Explore his music at benjamintaylormusic.com
Taylor has received commissions from ensembles including the Calidore String Quartet, Omaha Symphony, Solaire Saxophone Quartet, New World Youth Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Wind Symphony. His music has been performed by ensembles around the world including the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, Kenari Quartet, L’ensemble Itineraire, Nurnberg Hochschulorchester and has been championed by soloists Keith Kirchoff, Zach Herchen, and Scotty Stepp. As a sought-after composer for wind band, Taylor has been commissioned by over 100 band directors of players at all educational levels.
Recently named a recipient of a commission from the Barlow Endowment, Taylor’s prizes and honors include Winner in the 2013 Ticheli Composition Contest, a grant from the Indiana Arts Council (2015), Dean’s Prize in Composition from Indiana University (2013), BMI Student Composers Award (2011), Winner in the American Composers Orchestra Underwood New Music Readings (2012), and an ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award (2011). His music has received performances at festivals including the College Band Directors National Association Conference, Society of Electroacoustic Music in the United States National Conference, Society of Composers National Conference, International Society of Bassists Conference, International Double Reed Society Conference, Scandinavian Saxophone Festival, and international jazz festivals in Edinburgh, Marlborough and Birmingham. His compositions have been featured on the radio and television including NPR’s “Says You.”
Benjamin Taylor completed a doctorate degree from Indiana University and holds degrees from Bowling Green State University (MM) and Brigham Young University (BA). His principal teachers have included David Dzubay, Don Freund, Claude Baker, Jeffrey Hass, Marilyn Shrude, Elaine Lillios, Christian Asplund, Neil Thornock, and Steven Ricks. When not composing, Taylor can be found playing in his Dixieland jazz band, leading community bucket drumming groups, hiking, running, cooking, and camping with his family. Explore his music at benjamintaylormusic.com
THE MUSIC OF BENJAMIN DEAN TAYLOR
"Benjamin Taylor’s music has an energy that is contagious and sophisticated. It is rare to find pieces that players love to play, audiences love to listen to, and critics find inspired. Benjamin Taylor’s music is all of this soaked with riffs and themes that are irresistible."
-Eric Smedley, conductor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
"Ben’s music is both elegant and energetic, and his artistic decisions unfold throughout his works in an engaging and interesting manner. These qualities allow his works to be appreciated by performers and audiences alike."
-Kenneth Thompson, conductor at Bowling Green State University
"Ben Taylor is a terrific composer! His music is powerful and direct with delightful surprises in each work."
-Marilyn Shrude, composer and professor at Bowling Green State University
"Benjamin Taylor is a composer full of energetic exploration. His interests truly range across musical genres and barriers, resulting in compositions that are stylistically sincere yet adventurous. Mr. Taylor's music is diverse in nature, which is fitting for the modern world and refreshing to hear."
-Zach Herchen, freelance performer and educator
"Ben's ability to compose new creative works, intermixed with multiple genres and cultures, not only to be accessible to a larger spectrum of audiences, but also challenges the performers that are able to work with him as well. Ben's juxtaposition of form and varied improvisation creates refreshing and unique performances at each take. Performing his works over the last three years has not only enriched my musical life, but has brought many friendships to fruition."
-Alexsandr Karjaka, freelance performer
"I have been struck with how immediately captivating your pieces have been. When we began to rehearse Leaving White in the Symphony, I sensed the collective attention of the ensemble being immediately focused from the very first gesture, even of those who were merely counting. In that piece you demonstrated a good sense of form and structural proportion—the slower sections successfully counterbalancing the up-tempo ones; the dynamic and textural contours were equally satisfying. As was evident from both the comments I received from the players and faculty, and from the reaction of the audience at the premier, the work was a convincing and solid success."
-Eric Hansen, conductor at Brigham Young University
"Benjamin Taylor’s music has an energy that is contagious and sophisticated. It is rare to find pieces that players love to play, audiences love to listen to, and critics find inspired. Benjamin Taylor’s music is all of this soaked with riffs and themes that are irresistible."
-Eric Smedley, conductor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
"Ben’s music is both elegant and energetic, and his artistic decisions unfold throughout his works in an engaging and interesting manner. These qualities allow his works to be appreciated by performers and audiences alike."
-Kenneth Thompson, conductor at Bowling Green State University
"Ben Taylor is a terrific composer! His music is powerful and direct with delightful surprises in each work."
-Marilyn Shrude, composer and professor at Bowling Green State University
"Benjamin Taylor is a composer full of energetic exploration. His interests truly range across musical genres and barriers, resulting in compositions that are stylistically sincere yet adventurous. Mr. Taylor's music is diverse in nature, which is fitting for the modern world and refreshing to hear."
-Zach Herchen, freelance performer and educator
"Ben's ability to compose new creative works, intermixed with multiple genres and cultures, not only to be accessible to a larger spectrum of audiences, but also challenges the performers that are able to work with him as well. Ben's juxtaposition of form and varied improvisation creates refreshing and unique performances at each take. Performing his works over the last three years has not only enriched my musical life, but has brought many friendships to fruition."
-Alexsandr Karjaka, freelance performer
"I have been struck with how immediately captivating your pieces have been. When we began to rehearse Leaving White in the Symphony, I sensed the collective attention of the ensemble being immediately focused from the very first gesture, even of those who were merely counting. In that piece you demonstrated a good sense of form and structural proportion—the slower sections successfully counterbalancing the up-tempo ones; the dynamic and textural contours were equally satisfying. As was evident from both the comments I received from the players and faculty, and from the reaction of the audience at the premier, the work was a convincing and solid success."
-Eric Hansen, conductor at Brigham Young University
Taylor working in rehearsal with Sam Fritz and the Center Grove Middle School Central band on "Our Puzzle".
"To anyone considering having Benjamin Dean Taylor as a guest composer at your school or with your group - do it! His enthusiasm is contagious and he will show your students, parents, and audience the power of music to bring people together. When he visited UMass Amherst for our Honor Band Festival he was called upon to interact with high school students, band parents, band directors, and undergraduate and graduate music majors; in every situation he was able to make a meaningful impact. Ben is sincerely interested in creating relationships and our entire collaboration was a joy from beginning to end."
-Matthew Westgate, Director of Wind Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst
-Matthew Westgate, Director of Wind Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Read more about Taylor's background and typical daily schedule as a composer here:
http://bgindependentmedia.org/composer-ben-taylor-brings-together-music-entrepreneurship-to-create-a-blessed-life/
http://bgindependentmedia.org/composer-ben-taylor-brings-together-music-entrepreneurship-to-create-a-blessed-life/
Copyright Benjamin Taylor. All Rights Reserved.