Benjamin Roberts is an American composer, orchestrator, and dramatist. He has written and arranged extensively for wind ensembles and crafted orchestrations for Broadway artists.
His concert music and arrangements have been performed in more than a dozen countries across four continents. In 2021, he was commissioned to compose a fanfare for President Joe Biden, premiered for more than twenty heads of state at the APEC summit in San Francisco. He serves on active duty as a staff composer for United States Air Force Bands and received First Prize in the Erik Satie International Music Competition for his wind ensemble suite Judaean Exultations.
Roberts has provided theatrical orchestrations and arrangements for leading artists including Brian d’Arcy James, Jessie Mueller, Ethan Slater, Heather Headley, Jennifer Holliday, and JJ Niemann. The Chicago Tribune has noted his “singular orchestrations” for Jeff Award–winning productions at the Marriott Theatre.
He has written two original musicals: Ferdinand (music, lyrics, co-book, with Jordan Goodsell) and Tomás and the Library Lady (music, with José Cruz González). He holds a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University and is based in Tokyo.
Composer.
Orchestrator.
Dramatist.
Press for Judaean Exultations
The award-winning suite of Chanukah songs for concert band.
'From Darkness to Light: Benjamin Roberts’ Musical Journey in Judaean Exultations
Read Benjamin’s full interview with WOMCO here.
Theatre Orchestrations
I had a blast scoring this bang-beat, great-go, neck-or-nothin’, every-time-a-bull’s-eye musical for Chicago’s acclaimed Marriott Theatre!
There’s nothing as exciting as creating a new musical! Working with The Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton, under the musical direction of Brad Haak…
My orchestrations for Damn Yankees got a special shout-out in the Tribune! Thanks, Mr. Jones! Of course, it helps to have an all-star team with music director Ryan Nelson and conductor Noah Landis.
Soho House is a new cozy, classy venue fit for Austin’s best artists, and Seth brought the house down at this one-night-only event featuring my arrangements and orchestrations.
For the latest musical by Suzan Zeder and Jenn Hartmann Luck, I got in on the ground floor, transcribing all of Jenn’s original guitar demos and arranging them for piano.
Ithaca’s Hangar Theatre Co. premiered my six-piece reduction of this classic, and audiences were thrilled!
As a conductor, music director, vocal arranger, orchestrator, and copyist, I helped create four incredible student-written musicals, making friendships that will last a lifetime.
It’s hard work preparing anything for publication, and the music of GRETEL! requires actor-musicians, careful timing of dialogue, and a cello part chock-full of extended techniques!
As a music director, arranger, and a singing, dancing bumblebee, I put an entirely new, folky twist on Allan Friedman and Kristin Sergel’s classic Winnie the Pooh score.
I had a great time returning to my hometown to orchestrate a combo reduction of this classic score for Summer Stock Austin!
I was stoked to spend this summer working Lance Horne, Matt Aument, and Macy Schmidt as a music assistant for the star-studded staged reading of REEFER MADNESS, directed by Broadway’s Stephen Brackett.
Jennifer Holliday brought the house down with my arrangement of And I Am Telling You at this star-studded event, hosted by Matthew McConaughey!
It’s always a thrill to return to this classic, this time as a copyist. Teaming up with orchestrator Bryan Eng, I provided Transcendence Theatre Company with some charts to kick off their season!
I was the lead copyist for the debut production in LA at Hudson Mainstage, and I’ve been thrilled to see its recent NYC outing take off.
Jeff Award-winning director Nick Bowling’s bold twist on this classic called for a new orchestration take as well, and I was happy to oblige!
For Northwestern’s 77th annual Dolphin Show, I put my hand in as a copyist and music assistant.
I kicked off this year as a copyist, preparing parts for Bryan Eng’s clever reduction of A Chorus Line at Northwestern University!
As an orchestrator and copyist for Northwestern’s A Starry Night gala, hosted by Stephen Colbert, I had the pleasure of working with Brian d’Arcy James, Adam Kantor, Richard Kind, Ana Gasteyer, Heather Headly, and more!
Tomás and the
Library Lady
Music by Benjamin Roberts
Adaptation by José Cruz González
Based on the book by Pat Mora