Benson, Warren (Frank)

Benson, Warren (Frank), American composer and teacher; b. Detroit, Jan. 26, 1924. He studied percussion and horn at Detroit’s Cass Technical H.S. before pursuing training in theory at the Univ. of Mich. (B.M., 1949; M.M., 1951).After teaching percussion at the Univ. of Mich. (1943) and playing timpani in the Detroit Sym. Orch. (1946), he was a Fulbright music teacher at Anatolia Coll. in Salónica, Greece (1950–52). Returning to the U.S., he was director of the band and orch. at Mars Hill (N.C.) Coll. (1952–53). He served as prof. of music and composer-in-residence at Ithaca (N.Y.) Coll. (1953–67), where he was founder-director of its percussion ensemble. From 1967 until his retirement in 1993 he was prof. of composition at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. From 1986 to 1988 he was also the Algur H. Meadows Distinguished Visiting prof. of Composition at Southern Methodist Univ. in Dallas. In 1981-82 he held a Guggenheim fellowship. Benson has described his output as inclusive in nature, ranging from the tonal to the atonal in a style that remains uniquely his own. In addition to his idiomatic scores for percussion and wind ensemble, he has composed song cycles of high quality. He also publ. a vol. of verse entitled “…And My Daddy Will Play the Drums” (1999).