Choir Director

choir@buf.org

Ben’s musical background is extensive and diverse. Half of his life has been spent in the concert hall with the cello and voice, and the other half spent in cultural contexts including Powwow, the Lummi Blackhawk Singers, Ecclesiastical settings, and a lengthy stint with the Bellingham chapter of the Pacific Coast Norwegian Singers. As a cellist and vocalist, Ben has taken several tours to Europe as a principal cellist in orchestral settings, has sat principal cello appointments in the Western Washington University Symphony
Orchestra, and has directed vocal ensembles ranging from 10 voices to 80-piece full choirs. Even as a child, Ben showed devotion to enhancing every scene in which he played music in one way or another. As a result, Ben has shown disciplined collaborative musicianship and staunch commitment to proper cultural celebration. These were primary motivators through his performance degree work at WWU, continuing his graduate study in music education, and a planned doctorate study in ethnomusicology. These are also the
motivators that have Ben ecstatic to contribute to BUF’s musical culture in the assembly and in the greater community.