Bio

BRENT A. MORDEN

COMPOSER | CONDUCTOR | PERFORMER

BIO

As COMPOSER:

Morden’s wind ensemble works have been performed in venues including Carnegie Hall, Alfred Lerner Hall, Tony Bennett Concert Hall, and Riverside Park. In March 2017 and March 2018, Columbia University Wind Ensemble respectively premiered Morden’s Concertino and Danzón at their Ninth and Tenth Annual Festival of WindsDanzón earned Morden prizes in Metropolitan Youth Orchestra's 2017-18 Emerging Composers Competition and in The American Prize in Composition, 2018-19. Morden’s chamber music has been premiered by groups including International Contemporary Ensemble, TAK Ensemble, Yarn/Wire, and loadbang.

 

Active in musical theater, Morden composed original musical comedies Once Upon a Fortnight (Nov. 2018) and The 125th Annual Varsity Show (May 2019), both produced at Columbia University. In 2020, The Musical Chessboard Project commissioned Morden to compose Magical Moves (Jul. 2021), a new educational dramatic musical work about chess. Most recently, Morden's new rock musical Infernal (Oct. 2021) made its live NYC debut at The Flea Theater. Morden has studied composition with Georg Friedrich Haas, Zosha di Castri, and Joseph Bartolozzi. 

As SINGER:

Morden has sung bass with The Cecilia Chorus of New York, The Teachers College Community Choir, and Christmas Matters Holiday Carolers. Morden sung extensively in college, performing vocal jazz with his a cappella group Uptown Vocal and premiering his peers’ new music compositions. Nowadays, Morden freelances as a choral bass in the NYC metro area and provides audio engineering services for virtual choirs. Morden also teaches voice at From Stage to Screen, Nadia's Performing Arts Centre, and Hunter College Elementary.

Brent A. Morden is a New York-based composer, arranger, music director, vocalist, and educator.

His work has been described as “thrilling,” “didn’t fail to entertain,” and “successfully pairing the comedic and the compelling.” As a multidisciplinary artist, Morden's diverse creative background lends him a unique voice that blends and transcends genre. Highlights of Morden’s career include conducting the premiere of his wind ensemble piece Fell Swoop at Carnegie Hall (Mar. 2019), composing & music directing new rock musical Infernal (2021), and assisting acclaimed music director Rob Fisher. Currently, Morden works as Program Manager for Every Voice Choirs and teaches at From Stage to Screen in Huntington, NY. Morden graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music (magna cum laude), where he served for two years as a Resident Advisor. In his spare time, Morden enjoys weightlifting & running in the park. Read more below:

As ARRANGER:

Morden regularly arranges for musical theatre, including with Frank Sanchez Musicals. While in college, Morden arranged numerous jazz standards for Columbia’s jazz a cappella group Uptown Vocal, including “Cheek to Cheek” and “Basin Street Blues.” He has also arranged charts for the Columbia University Big Band, in which he played trumpet and euphonium (Sep. 2016 – Apr. 2018). Morden's orchestration of Sorabji's Opus Clavicem-balisticum (Introit) was read by the Columbia University Orchestra in Dec. 2018.

As CONDUCTOR:

Most recently, Morden conducted the pit band for Infernal the Musical (Oct. 2021) at NYC's Flea Theater. In his work directing children's choirs, Morden conducted the Every Voice Concert Choir at Teachers College Milbank Chapel, Merkin Hall, and performances around NYC. Morden conducted actively while studying at Columbia University. In addition to regularly student-conducting the Columbia University Wind Ensemble (Jan. 2017 – May 2019), Morden music directed and conducted various musical theater productions with Columbia student groups. Credits include Urinetown (Nov. 2017), Written in the Stars (Nov. 2017), CMTS’ First Annual 24-Hour Musical (Feb. 2018), Once Upon a Fortnight (Nov. 2018), and The 125th Annual Varsity Show (May 2019).

 

Morden remains an active music director in NYC and Long Island. As a student, Morden music directed Columbia’s jazz a cappella group Uptown Vocal (Sep. 2017-Dec. 2018). During the summers of 2017 and 2018, Morden rehearsed & conducted the Concert Band at Summer Arts Institute, a selective program for New York City public middle and high school students. Morden has studied conducting with Jeffrey Milarsky and Mark Shapiro.

As ACTOR:

Since June 2019, Morden has acted in a variety of stage and screen productions in the NYC Metro Area. Highlights include a regionally-touring Cinderella (Prince Charming/Plaza Theatricals), A Sketch of New York (Ensemble/ Producers Club Theaters), and the lead in indie comedy films Bullshido and LuvBugs (dir. J. Riviere). Morden has also appeared on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and performs STEM educational videos for kids through Blue Studios.

CV available upon request.

EVENTS ARCHIVE

2021


October 15-17th - Infernal the Musical – composed, arranged, music directed, and conducted by Brent – makes its live debut for four shows at The Flea Theater in NYC.


August 30th - Brent performs a selection of jazz songs for Congressman Tom Suozzi for his birthday fundraiser.


August 13-14th - Brent plays the eccentric Franz Klinemann in the musical Rock of Ages, produced by From Stage to Screen and performed live in Oyster Bay, NY.


July 17th - World premiere of Magical Moves: The Musical Chessboard Project, a new educational musical work about chess composed, co-written, and narrated by Brent.


February 17th - The debut episode of The State of Art Podcast, created and hosted by Brent.


January 30th - Infernal: A Standing Musical Debut–composed, arranged, MD'ed by Brent–premieres on YouTube.



2020


October 22nd - The premiere of BULLSHIDO (2020), Brent's film debut in which he stars as the lead role.


August 16th - Raise Your Voice: Every Voice Choirs' Songwriting for Change concert, which Brent audio engineered and helped to produce.


May 24th - Every Voice Choirs' Virtual Spring Concert, which Brent helped produce and edit, and in which he conducts and sings.


March 7th - Brent sings with The Cecilia Chorus of New York in The Belshazzar Project at Church of St. Francis Xavier.


February 1st - 15th - Brent returns to act as Prince Charming in Plaza Theatricals' production of Cinderella at Bellmore Movies and Showplace.


January 25th - Every Voice Choirs' Winter Final Concert, Peace Seekers VIII at Merkin Concert Hall, where Brent sings with the TC Community Choir and conducts Every Voice Concert Choir.


January 20th - Every Voice Choirs' Community Concert for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Broadway Presbyterian Church, where Brent sings with the TC Community Choir and conducts Every Voice Concert Choir.


2019


December 17th - At LOVE: The TC Community Choir Winter Concert, Brent conducts the Every Voice Concert Choir in "Oseh Shalom" and sings with the TC Community Choir.


September 28th - Brent acts in St. George Living History Productions' production of Women of the Revolution (Stony Brook, NY).


September 6th - Brent sings at the "Just More Cabaret" showcase at The Playroom Theater (NYC).


July 19th, 20th, 21st - Brent acts in the off-off-Broadway sketch comedy show "A Sketch of New York" at Producer's Club Theaters (NYC).


June 25th - August 14th - Brent performs across Long Island in a touring musical theater production of The Prince Street Players' Cinderella with Plaza Theatricals, where he played Prince Charming.


May 3rd, 4th, 5th - The 125th Annual Varsity Show, an original musical created by Columbia students, for which Brent A. Morden wrote music/lyrics, music directed, orchestrated, and conducted.


May 4th - CU Wind Ensemble's Spring Outdoor Concert, where Brent A. Morden conducts his Fell Swoop (2019) and a medley arrangement of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.


April 29th - Brent A. Morden is elected into Phi Beta Kappa, the national honor society and highest scholastic distinction in Columbia College.


April 28th - EUPHONISMS, Brent A. Morden's senior recital, featuring original songs, euphonium solos, stand up comedy, poetry, and more.


April 27th - Uptown Vocal's final concert, "LUV at First Flight," where Brent A. Morden sings his senior solo "Come Fly with Me" and conducts his arrangement of "April in Paris."


March 31st - The Eleventh Annual Columbia Festival of Winds, where Brent A. Morden conducts the second world premiere of Fell Swoop (2019) as well as playing euphonium with CU Wind Ensemble.


March 25th - CU Wind Ensemble performs in Carnegie Hall, where Brent A. Morden conducts the world premiere of his piece Fell Swoop (2019) and plays euphonium.


2018


December 9th - International Contemporary Ensemble premieres En Autuno (2018) at the Columbia Undergraduate Composition Concert in The Italian Academy.


December 7th - "UV Got Run Over By A Reindeer!," Uptown Vocal's winter 2018 concert, featuring several Brent A. Morden arrangements in his last concert as Music Director.


November 18th - Columbia University Wind Ensemble's annual fall concert, Journeys in Music, where Brent A. Morden conducts Xerxes by John Mackey.


November 9th-11th - Once Upon a Fortnight, an original comedy musical co-written and composed by Brent A. Morden, premieres at Columbia University's Black Box Theater.


August 1st - Brent A. Morden conducts the Summer Arts Institute Concert Band in performing excerpts from his original work Danzón (2018) for Wind Ensemble at the Tony Bennett Concert Hall, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts.


June 30th - Members of Yarn/Wire and the 2018 Yarn/Wire Institute premiere Interrobang (2018) for Two Pianos and Vibraphone at the Staller Center, Stony Brook University.


April 29th - Brent A. Morden conducts American Salute by Morton Gould and Danzón (2018) for Wind Ensemble at the Columbia University Wind Ensemble's Riverside Park Outdoor Concert.


April 27th - "Uptown VoCali," Uptown Vocal's Spring 2018 final concert, featuring arrangements "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore."


April 26th - Benjamin Fingland premieres Lullaby in Due Time (2018) for Solo Bb Clarinet, and Brent A. Morden premieres Configuration No. 1 (2018) for Solo Voice, at the Columbia Undergraduate Composers Concert in Symphony Space.


April 16th - The Music Performance Program at Columbia University awards Brent A. Morden the 2018 Richard and Brooke Kamin Rapaport Summer Music Performance Fellowship to fund his attendance of the 2018 Yarn/Wire Institute.


April 14th - Columbia University Big Band performs at Casa Italiana (Columbia University), featuring Brent A. Morden on trumpet.


March 9th-13th - Uptown Vocal tours Southern California, singing with fellow collegiate a cappella groups and performing for local communities.


March 4th - Brent A. Morden conducts the Columbia University Wind Ensemble in the premiere of his original work Danzón (2018) for Wind Ensemble.


February 18th - Columbia Musical Theater Society presents its first annual 24-Hour Musical, Music Directed by Brent A. Morden.


January 17th - Brent A. Morden wins 3rd place in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra's Emerging Composers Competition with Danzón (2016) for Orchestra.


2017


December 10th - loadbang premieres En Passant (2017) at the Columbia Undergraduate Composers Concert in the National OPERA Center.


December 8th - "Bundled Up in LUV," Uptown Vocal's Fall 2017 final concert, featuring arrangements of "Cheek to Cheek" and "Let It Snow."


December 7th - Columbia University Big Band performs at Symphony Space, featuring Brent A. Morden on euphonium.


November 19th - "Childlike Wonder," Columbia University Wind Ensemble's fall concert, in Roone Arledge Auditorium (Alfred Lerner Hall, Columbia University).


November 16th-18th - The Pale Blue presents Written in the Stars, a space-Western comedy musical starring and Music Directed by Brent A. Morden, in Rennert Hall (Kraft Center, Columbia University).


November 10th-11th - Columbia Musical Theater Society presents Urinetown (Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis), Music Directed by Brent A. Morden, in Roone Arledge Auditorium (Alfred Lerner Hall, Columbia University).


July 26th - Brent A. Morden conducts Night on Fire by John Mackey with the Summer Arts Institute Concert Band in Frank Sinatra School of the Arts.


May 2nd - Members of TAK Ensemble premiere Primordial Utterances (2017) at the Columbia Undergraduate Composers Concert in Alfred Lerner Hall, Columbia University.


April 28th - "April in Paris," Uptown Vocal's Spring 2017 final concert, featuring arrangements of "Sir Duke" and "At Last".


April 21st - Columbia University Big Band performs at Symphony Space, featuring Brent A. Morden on euphonium and vocals, and his arrangement of "Suits Are Picking Up the Bill" (Squirrel Nut Zippers).


March 24th - Columbia University Wind Ensemble performs at Carnegie Hall.


March 5th - Brent A. Morden conducts the Columbia University Wind Ensemble in the premiere of his original work Concertino (2017) for Wind Ensemble.

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