Dr. Dan Forrest (b. 1978) is widely recognized as one of the leading American choral composers of our time. He has been described as having “an undoubted gift for writing beautiful music….that is truly magical” (NY Concert Review), with works hailed as “magnificent, very cleverly constructed sound sculpture” (Classical Voice), and “superb writing…full of spine-tingling moments” (Salt Lake Tribune). Dan’s music spans a wide spectrum of genres and difficulty, ranging from extended major works for chorus and orchestra and significant concert choral repertoire to more accessible works for church and community choirs, as well as instrumental works ranging from wind ensemble pieces to solo instrumental sonatas.
Dr. Forrest’s work has become well established in the choral repertoire in the U.S. and around the world, and has received numerous awards and distinctions including the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer’s Award, the ACDA Raymond Brock Student Award, the ALCM Raabe Prize, and most recently, the 2027 Raymond Brock Commission, ACDA’s most prestigious honor for composers. His choral works have been recorded by professional choirs including Seraphic Fire and VOCES8, have been performed on the BBC Proms (2019 and 2025) and numerous national US radio and TV broadcasts, and are regularly performed in choral festivals in the halls of major cities around the world.
Dan’s international events have included concerts with choirs from the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Italy, and many others. His major works have become standard choral/orchestral repertoire for ensembles around the world, with Requiem for the Living (2013) receiving over 1000 performances around the world in its first decade. His other extended works, including his CREATION oratorio (2023), have been similarly acclaimed.
Dan is highly active in the music publishing industry, currently serving as Vice President of Publications and Editor at Beckenhorst Press, where his editorial skills are widely known for maintaining the highest standards. He publishes his church choral music at Beckenhorst, and also publishes his concert choral music through his own company, The Music of Dan Forrest (distributed by Beckenhorst). Dan also serves as collaborative pianist on all Beckenhorst Singers recordings and concerts, with millions of streams on the various digital music platforms.
Dr. Forrest spends significant time mentoring and supporting other composers through his Forrest Fellows composer mentoring initiative, his oversight of the John Ness Beck Foundation Choral Composer’s Workshop, his intensive editing work at Beckenhorst Press, his past chairmanship of the National ACDA Composition Initiatives Committee, and numerous other teaching and mentoring opportunities. He keeps a full schedule of commissions, workshops, recordings, contest adjudication, and residencies with universities, churches, community and professional ensembles where he collaborates as accompanist, presents his music, and teaches composition and music theory. Dan also serves as Composer-in-Residence at Furman University and Artist-in-Residence and pianist at Mitchell Road Presbyterian in Greenville, SC.
Dan holds a doctorate in composition from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in piano performance, and is a Fellow of Melodious Accord. His higher education background includes several years as a professor and department head (music theory and composition). Dan professes lifelong gratitude for the teachers that helped shape his musicality: James Barnes (doctoral advisor), Alice Parker (multiple fellowships with Melodious Accord), Joan Pinkston and Dwight Gustafson (college composition teachers), and Frances McLaren and Joanne Snyder (childhood piano and music teachers).
When not creating music, Dan can be found spending time with his wife and three kids, maintaining his extensive landscape gardens, playing Irish traditional music on the concertina and accordion, and participating in his supportive church community.
More information about Dan and his work can be found at www.danforrest.com.
Dan Forrest (b. 1978) is widely recognized as one of the leading American choral composers of our time. He has been described as having “an undoubted gift for writing beautiful music….that is truly magical” (NY Concert Review), with works hailed as “magnificent, very cleverly constructed sound sculpture” (Classical Voice), and “superb writing…full of spine-tingling moments” (Salt Lake Tribune). His music has sold millions of copies, has received numerous awards (including, most recently, the 2027 ACDA Raymond Brock Commission), and has become well established in the repertoire of choirs around the world via commissions, festivals, recordings, radio/TV broadcasts, and premieres in prominent international venues.
Dan’s work ranges from small choral works to instrumental solo works, wind ensemble works, and extended multi-movement works for chorus and orchestra. His Requiem for the Living (2013) and Jubilate Deo (2016) have become standard choral/orchestral repertoire for ensembles around the world, with LUX (2018), the breath of life (2020), and CREATION (2023) also receiving critical acclaim.
Dan holds a D.M.A in Composition (University of Kansas, 2007) and a master’s degree in piano performance. He served for several years as a professor and department head (music theory and composition) in higher education, and is a past Chair of the National ACDA Composition Initiatives Committee. He currently mentors composers through his Forrest Fellows initiative, and serves as Vice President of Publications and Editor at Beckenhorst Press, Composer in Residence at Furman University, Artist in Residence at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church (Greenville, SC), and collaborative pianist for all Beckenhorst Singers recordings and concerts.
When not creating music, Dan can be found spending time with his wife and three kids, maintaining his extensive landscape gardens, playing Irish traditional music on the concertina and accordion, and participating in his supportive church community. Details about Dan and his work can be found at www.danforrest.com.
