About Dan Forrest

Biography

LONG VERSION:
Dr. Dan Forrest (b. 1978) 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 Award, the ALCM Raabe Prize, and many others. His choral works have been recorded by professional choirs including Seraphic Fire and VOCES8, have been featured on the BBC Proms series and numerous national US radio and TV broadcasts, and are regularly performed in Carnegie Hall choral festivals. Dan’s international invitations include major 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. His new CREATION oratorio premiered in Philadelphia in November 2023.

Dan is highly active in the music publishing industry, currently publishing his concert choral music through his own company, The Music of Dan Forrest (distributed by Beckenhorst Press), and his church choral anthems with Beckenhorst Press (where he serves as Vice President of Publications and Editor). He also maintains a sizable presence in the Hinshaw Music catalog, and has published with a dozen other publishers. Dr. Forrest is a past Chair of the National ACDA Composition Committee, and spends significant time mentoring and supporting other composers through his ongoing oversight and teaching with the annual John Ness Beck Foundation Choral Composer’s Workshop and Scholarships, his intensive editing work at Beckenhorst Press, 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 Artist-in-Residence at his home church, 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. He currently serves as adjunct Professor of Composition at Furman University, and his higher education background includes several years as a professor and department head (music theory and composition). Dan professes lifelong gratitude to the teachers that helped shape his musicality: James Barnes (doctoral advisor), Alice Parker (multiple fellowships with Melodious Accord), Joan Pinkston and the late Dwight Gustafson (college composition teachers), Frances McLaren and the late 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, or participating in his supportive church community.

More information about Dan and his work can be found at www.danforrest.com.

 

SHORTER VERSION (under 250 words):

Dan Forrest (b. 1978) 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 and distinctions, and has become well established in the repertoire of choirs around the world via 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 his new CREATION oratorio (2023) also receiving critical acclaim.

Dan holds a doctorate in composition and a master’s degree in piano performance, and served for several years as a professor and department head (music theory and composition) in higher education. He currently serves as Editor at Beckenhorst Press, Chair of the American Choral Director’s Association Composition Initiatives Committee, adjunct Faculty at Furman University, and Artist-In-Residence at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church (Greenville, SC). Details about Dan and his work can be found at www.danforrest.com.

 

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