Originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Drew Worthen (b. 1988) found his love for music at a very young age. 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 with Dr. Michael Schelle and Dr. Frank Felice.
Drew has traveled and performed concerts throughout Europe and the United States, and continually 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 performing in numerous ensembles in countless venues on piano, organ, tuba and voice and has had several pieces commissioned and premiered by students and faculty at Henderson State University, Ohio University, and the University of Alabama. His works have been performed at Gustavus Adolphus College, the University of Arizona, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and other universities around the country. Notable 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.
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., the American Composers Forum, and is licensed with ASCAP. Compositional influences include Phillip Schroeder, Michael Schelle, Gustav Mahler, Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss, Ottorino Respighi, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Emerson Lake & Palmer and others.
Connect
- Professional Website: www.drewworthen.com
