In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer William Banfield.
William Banfield
b. 1961
William Banfield is an award-winning African American composer whose symphonies, operas, and chamber works have been performed and recorded by major symphonies across the country. He received his Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, a Master of Theological Studies from Boston University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the University of Michigan. His formal composition studies were under, T.J Anderson, William Bolcom, and William Albright. He has authored 6 books on music, arts, and cultural criticism, history, and biographies, covering everything from contemporary Black composers, to Ornette Coleman, Nikki Manaj, and Kendrick Lamar. Dr. Banfield has served as Professor of Africana Studies/ Music and Society, founding director of the Center for Africana Studies/ Liberal Arts, and teaching in the Dept. of Composition and the graduate program at Berklee College of Music from 2005 to 2020. Additionally, he is the founder/director of JazzUrbane, a contemporary jazz art recording label, dedicated to producing creative new artists. Few have had a wider, performed professional composing output, with public concert performances, reviews, radio, recordings of some 12 symphonies, 7 operas, 9 concerti, chamber, and jazz music.
Suggested Choral Pieces:
- 3 Short Prayers (B Magic Music Publishing)
- Deep Like the Rivers (B Magic Music Publishing)
- I Trust Harlem (B Magic Music Publishing)
For more information about Dr. Banfield, visit his website: http://www.billbanfieldmusic.com/