Bio
Ben Morss earned his doctorate in composition at the University of California at Davis. He has played piano and arranged for platinum-selling bands such as Cake and Wheatus. His playing was used in the films “Sidewalks of New York” and “L.I.E.” He played with the California acid-jazz group 11:11 at festivals such as NXNW and SXSW. Ben is an alumnus of the BMI Musical Theater Workshop. His two musicals for young audiences are published by Samuel French. He created music for “Anansi the Story King” at Georgetown University, and he has conducted and played for shows from “Annie” to “Tosca.” His former rock band, the Pilgrims, was on the charts of college radio stations nationwide and received tens of thousands of downloads online. He arranged the music for the stage adaptation of Trey Parker’s “Cannibal! The Musical” and played auditions for “Spiderman.” Ben’s classical-pop-theatre crossover group, the Infinite Orchestra, played an ASCAP showcase at the Make Music New York festival in Lincoln Square alongside groups from the New York Philharmonic, City Opera, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. His new indie pop group, Onward Chariots, has been played on radio stations from Brazil to Greece; they toured Europe in 2010 and 2011 and currently have a single on the storied Spanish indie pop label Elefant Records. He and Susan DiLallo wrote a musical based on the “Angelina Ballerina” book series and PBS show; currently “Angelina” is running in New York and Toronto, and a UK production is slated to open later this year. His anarchist rock opera was workshopped in January at Millikin University and will receive a staged reading at Theatre 167 in New York in June. Ben is represented by The Susan Gurman Agency.
Musical Direction
BROADWAY
SPIDERMAN (auditions) Telsey Casting
New York
MASTER CLASS (played Manny), Queens Theatre in the Park, dir. Rob Urbinati; Helen Hayes Theatre, New York State Theatre Institute
I LOVE MY WIFE (played Norman), Queens Theatre in the Park, dir. Rob Urbinati; Emelin Theatre, Helen Hayes, chor. Gary John LaRosa
ANNA BELLA EEMA, New Georges, dir. Katie Pearl
ALOHA FLIGHT 243, HERE, Lincoln Center Directors’ Lab
LOST, reading, dir. Rob Urbinati
KARAOKE NIGHT AT THE SUICIDE…, Queens Theatre in the Park, dir. Dan Fields, Alexandra Aron
HOW THE FIRST LETTER… Brooklyn Stage, dir. Ari Laura Kreith
PINK ELEPHANTS, The Slipper Room, dir. Darcy Drollinger
SPIRIT OF THE TREE, reading, dir. Caroline Laskow
Regional
SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, Henlopen Theatre Project, dir. Ari Laura Kreith
PAGLIACCI BELLAYRE FESTIVAL, dir. Donald Westwood
BARBER OF SEVILLE, Bellayre Festival, dir. Donald Westwood
TOSCA, Bellayre Festival, dir. Donald Westwood
RIGOLETTO, Bellayre Festival, dir. Donald Westwood
MERRY WIDOW, Jacksonville Lyric Opera, dir. Donald Westwood
THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, Asbury Summer Theatre, dir. Tom Coppola
FOREVER PLAID, Shawnee Theatre, dir. Corin Holifield
SOUND OF MUSIC, Renaissance Youth Theatre, dir. Don Birely
OKLAHOMA!, Renaissance Youth Theatre, dir. Don Birely
ANNIE, Helen Hayes Youth Theatre, dir. Ari Laura Kreith
WINNIE-THE-POOH, Lycian Centre, dir. Ari Laura Kreith
CINDERELLA, Lycian Centre, dir. Bill Beeman
Musical Theatre Performance
fill-in pianist for improv groups such as Chicago City Limits, I Eat Pandas, The Pearl Brunswick
keyboardist and guitarist for Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns at Edinburgh Festival
vocal coach and pianist for Emperor Norton of the U.S.A., a modern opera, at UC-Davis
Rock, Pop & Film
Cake: piano and arranging on platinum-selling album “Prolonging the Magic”
Wheatus: (“Teenage Dirtbag”) keyboards on “Hand Over Your Loved Ones”
Josh Joplin: (“Camera One”) piano and keyboard in his band
The Pilgrims: our record “Plymouth Rock” had the #19 college chart debut at CMJ, going on to chart at more than 50 radio stations.
The Infinite Orchestra: I compose, arrange, and perform for this 9-piece ensemble in NYC
Sidewalks of New York: my piano playing was used as a recurring theme in this feature film
L.I.E.: my piano playing was used in the foreign-language version
Forbidden Fruit: composed music for this short film, shown at Anthology Film Archives in 2003
Musical Theatre Composition
ANGELINA BALLERINA Vital Theatre, composer
CINDERELLA’S MICE Vital Theatre, composer/co-lyricist, published by Samuel French
POP STAR ACROSS NORTH AMERICA composer, published by Samuel French
ANANSI THE STORY KING Georgetown University dance music, songs, incidental music
CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL, arranged official stage version of Trey Parker’s film
DOUBLE VISION, New York Fringe sound design
THE GREAT GOD MONEY New York Fringe co-composer
2GETHER SIX FIGURES composer/lyricist
A CHANGE IS GONNA COME GALAPAGOS composer/lyricist, in development
OLYMPIA Vital Theatre composer/lyricist, in development
THE MOON MOTH Genesius Guild composer/lyricist, reading
OUT OF MIND Henlopen Theatre composed incidental music
BMI Lehman Engel Workshop alumnus
“Party of Five” composer. this song was chosen for a BMI smoker and a NAMT showcase, and sung by Christy Carlson-Romano at a benefit for the Lark Theatre
Academia
B.A. in Computer Science and Music Harvard University
Ph.D. in Music Composition University of California – Davis
Assistant Professor of Music Concordia College – New York
Classical Music
Assistant Professor of Music at Concordia College, 2005-07. Courses in music theory, popular music theory, sight-singing and ear-training, music appreciation, history of popular music, and humanities. Created new popular music program with coursework in keyboard skills, theory, studio production, and songwriting.
Residency at Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida.
With Camellia Symphony Orchestra, was guest pianist and harpsichordist.
My original compositions have been performed by various ensembles in California, Illinois, Florida, and Montana, as well as at events sponsored by Mosaic, the New York Composers Circle, and the Brooklyn Conservatory in NYC.
