Assistant Professor of Music
benjamin.schoening@uwc.edu
Phone: (715) 234-8176 ext. 5480
Department: Music
Office: 120 Meggers Hall
B.A., Luther College
M.M., University of Illinois – Urbana–Champaign
D.M.A., University of Minnesota
BENJAMIN SCHOENING, BARITONE
Hailed as “very talented for his young years,” Benjamin Schoening is one of the up–and–coming musical talents of his generation. Although gifted with a rare and beautiful lyric baritone voice, Benjamin chose to begin his musical career as an orchestral French Horn player and later became a conductor; thus he is beginning his singing career later than most singers do. However, his combination of talents and unusual abilities has allowed him to gain a unique insight into the music he performs and has caused immediate success as a singer.
Benjamin has enjoyed much success as a recitalist throughout the Midwest and Southwest United States. His particular area of interest as an Art Song Recitalist is songs in the English language. His love for and understanding of poetry inspires his work in that area.
In addition to his song recital performances, Benjamin has made appearances with the Racine Choral Arts Society (Wisconsin), Symphonia da Camerata (Illinois) and White Mountain Symphony Orchestra (Arizona) as a vocal soloist. He has been active in opera, most recently as Zuniga in Bizet’s Carmen and the Foreman & Mayor in Janicek’s Jenufa.
Benjamin has become a successful instrumental and choral conductor. He has held conducting positions with the Northland Master Chorale and White Mountain Symphony Orchestra. Benjamin has also had guest conducting appearances with the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, University of Illinois Chamber Orchestra, University of Illinois Opera, Washington Park Concert Choir, and Student Orchestra of Provenance in Aubagne, France.
In addition to performing, Benjamin is a devoted teacher. He has served as a guest clinician for many events in the Midwest and Southwest United States and served as conductor of the 2007 Arizona Northeast Regional Honors Orchestra. He is the former director of musical activities and professor of music at Northland Pioneer College (Arizona).
Currently, Benjamin is an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin - Barron County, where he is Director of Campus Musical Activities, Director of the Holiday Festival, and Music Director/Conductor of the Red Cedar Choir. Additionally, he is pursuing his DMA in voice performance at the University of Minnesota where he studied with Glenda Maurice until her recent retirement from academic life.
