Ben Dunham
Artistic Statement
Music is a powerful force that shapes and communicates memories. The sounds of a beautiful melody, raging percussion, or any balance of many musical ideas create imprints in each individual’s subconscious. These sonic imprints collectively form our worldview and our connection to one another as human beings.
As a composer and improviser my job is to create experiences and memories, finding creative outlets to connect with others. I attempt to think of the consequences of every note and the power that a note or chord can hold. It can be surprising, predictable, satisfying, unsatisfying, aggressive, or light; nevertheless, the intentionality of music is integral to the connections found within human nature. I believe that music transcends barriers of language, culture, and time, speaking directly to the core of our shared humanity. Through both composition and improvisation, I strive to create moments that connect us, capturing the vast spectrum of human experience—both the monumental and the fleeting—and uniting us through the memories embedded within each piece.
Full Biography
Composer, Vibraphonist, and Improviser Ben Dunham strives to integrate his worlds of jazz and contemporary music with an improvisatory flair and freedom, capturing the unique personal connection found only in music. His style, constantly evolving, reflects both contemporary trends and personal anecdotes that motivate him in his musical journey. Growing up as a classical bassoonist and picking up jazz vibraphone (because there were too many percussionists at his middle school), Ben was always fascinated with how these worlds intersect, especially after being told that they couldn’t for years. This rejection led Ben to the world of composition, where he could create the music he heard, and use his unique voice to bond with the audience and community. This cross-pollination of genres has influenced his process of creation (whether it be composition or performance) and collaboration.
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Ben’s compositional process sprouts from his musical approach as an improvisor and accentuates his passion for collaboration. Often, a singular idea can spark a work of vibrant energy and color, which permeates throughout Ben’s music. This philosophy has demonstrated itself in pieces such as “The Sixth Stream”, a work commissioned by the University of Miami All-Stamps Ensemble (woodwind quintet, brass quintet, string quartet, jazz quintet, and electronics) which reinterprets and transforms Third-Stream Music into the 21st Century. Ben also collaborated with pianist Renato Diz on “Glass”, a new work for solo piano that integrates inside and prepared piano techniques, with an improvisatory fluency. Other recent works include “From Nine We Rise”, which was commissioned by the Tarpon Springs Leadership Conservatory for the Arts Wind Ensemble to honor conservatory director Kevin Ford’s 30th year at the school; as well as “CRASH OUT!!!” which featured Ben as a performer in addition to collaborators Adam Lord and Aidan McCarthy. Other works have been performed by groups such as The Rhythm Method, The _____ Experiment, Peridot Duo, and the USF Percussion Ensemble.
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As a performer, Ben’s energy and versatility have led to cherished collaborations across genres such as straight-ahead, contemporary, afro-Caribbean, fusion, and avant-garde jazz. Working with artists such as Etienne Charles, John Daversa, and Aron!; Ben’s passion for bringing diverse projects to life inspires his own musical and compositional process. His debut record Homesick, released in September of 2023, integrates his love of classical form, arrangement, and orchestration with 11 distinct improvisational voices. For his upcoming record titled Before We Go, Ben is leaning into the jazz tradition and idiom in a co-written and co-produced record with NYC bassist Aidan McCarthy featuring Melvin Butler, Renato Diz, and Jacob Smith. Ben remains excited for the horizon of performance opportunities but has cherished prior performances at venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Scope Art Gallery (Art Basel-Miami), the Clearwater Jazz Festival, the Wells Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research, Cantab Lounge, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, and WDNA Miami.
Dunham’s awards and recognitions include an Emerging Composer recognition in the Young Composer Competition from Tribeca New Music (2024), two DownBeat Student Awards (2021), and runner-up placement in the jazz category for the Vibraphone Project (2025). He is currently attending the Peabody Conservatory where he studies with Dr. Felipe Lara and holds a B.M. in Composition from the Frost School of Music, where he studied under Dr. Donald Scott Stinson.