About dw154515

Biography:

Originally from Pine Bluff Arkansas, Drew Worthen found his love for music at a very young age. At six years old he began studying piano and music theory full time, with various teachers throughout the Pine Bluff area. Having completed his undergraduate degree in Music Composition at Henderson State University under Dr. Phillip Schroeder, Drew is now in pursuit of his Masters degree at Butler University.

Drew has traveled and performed concerts throughout Europe and the United States and continuously seeks a deeper understanding and passion for the music that he performs and composes. Having been a full-time church musician in multiple venues since the age of 13, Drew has remained in demand throughout the state as a pianist and organist. As a modern composer, he is always seeking to explore new possibilities and collaborations with other composers, writers, poets and artists.

Drew has had the wonderful privilege of playing in numerous ensembles in countless venues on piano, organ, tuba and voice. Drew has a great love for jazz piano and is the former pianist of the Henderson jazz ensemble “NuFusion.” He has had several pieces commissioned and premiered by students and faculty at Henderson State University, Ohio University, Gustavus Adolphus College, and other universities around the country. His tuba quartet “Convalescence” was premiered by the Henderson State University Tuba Choir at the 2009 International Tuba Euphonium Association South-Regional conference in Corpus Christi, Texas. Other commissions include “On the Continental Divide” for the University of Alabama Trombone Choir which premiered at the 2010 Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington D.C..

In 2008 Drew began working with Dr. Phillip Schroeder and J. Michael Henson on a venturous project as pianist, narrator, and engineer. This venture has given rise to touring and performing the music of Dr. Phillip Schroeder in several venues, including the University of Central Missouri New Music Festival, the Delta Music Institute’s Electroacoustic Juke Joint Festival and the 2009 Region VI Society of Composers Conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma amongst others.

As an engineer Drew has two albums to his credit and numerous solo projects and recordings. Currently in production is the next album of Dr. Phillip Schroeder as well as various other recording and engineering projects for the Henderson State University Chamber Chorale and other solo artists.

Drew’s current applied subjects include composition under Dr. Michael Schelle and Dr. Frank Felice. Former studies include composition with Dr. Phillip Schroeder, piano and organ with Dr. Hee-Kyung Juhn and tuba with Dr. Jonathan Whitaker and Dr. Jamie Lipton. In his spare time he enjoys pipe organ restoration, cooking, sound engineering and train watching. Drew is a member of Society of Composers Inc. and is licensed with ASCAP. Compositional influences include: Phillip Schroeder, Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss, Ottorino Respighi, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Emerson Lake & Palmer and others.

Location:

Indy

Interests:

Composing, Pipe Organs, Model Trains, Cooking, Traveling

Occupation:

HiFi Consultant, Student, Composer