Bio

Dr. Benjamin Dawson is a composer, theorist, and educator based in Atlanta, GA. Although Dawson has written music for a diverse range of ensembles, much of his compositional output and passion lies in the choral field, having composed for SATB, TTBB, SSA and Children’s Choir. Favorite pieces include “The Voice of Spring,” written for the University of Georgia Hodgson Singers, “The Day of Allied Voices,” commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day; “Journey to Herold County,” a one-act Bluegrass opera; and “Backcountry Sketches,” a crossover work for piano trio.

Dawson is a frequent arranger/orchestrator for Symphony of the Mountains (TN), having completed fifty projects in that capacity. Additionally, Dawson has a vested interest in music for the screen, having composed over two dozen independent film scores.

As an educator, Dawson serves as Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Morehouse College, where he teaches theory, sight singing and ear training, and music appreciation. He remains active as a freelance violinist and clinician and directs the String Ensemble at Westminster Presbyterian Church (Atlanta). As a researcher, Dawson has a particular interest in Bluegrass as well as the Film Music of Randy Newman. Dawson holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Georgia.