This year marks Beau Benson’s inaugural season as Artistic Director and Conductor for the Temple Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his post in Temple, he is currently in his tenth season as Music Director and Conductor for the Oregon East Symphony and Chorale in Pendleton, Oregon and his tenth season as the Music Director for the Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra. He is also in his fourteenth year as Director of Orchestras for the Midway Independent School District.
Concurrent to his first two years in Waco, Dr. Benson served as Principal Conductor for the Metroplex Opera in Dallas, Texas, following three seasons as Music Director/Conductor of the Mason Orchestral Society in Mason, Michigan. Prior to his time in Michigan, he worked as Music Director of the Texas A&M University Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Conductor for the Flower Mound Symphony. Additional posts he has held include: Associate Conductor for the Flower Mound Community Orchestras, Assistant Conductor for the Frisco Symphony, Assistant Conductor for The Living Opera in Richardson, Tx, and Resident Conductor for the University of Houston’s annual guitar festival.
His recent guest conducting includes engagements with the Fort Worth Symphony, All Cape Festival Orchestra (Cape Cod, MA), Texas Ballet Frontier, Williamson County Symphony, Avant Chamber Ballet, Pendleton Ballet Theatre, the Central Texas Choral Society, and the Region 18 All-region Symphony. This season he will also appear with the Waco Symphony and the Austin Civic Symphony.
Beau Benson received his Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting at Michigan State University. He received his Masters degree in Orchestral Conducting from Southern Methodist University, where he also earned Bachelors degrees in classical guitar performance and music education. He currently lives in Waco, Tx with his wife Amy and their children Loïe, Charles, and Henry.