Born on April 18, 1982, Dennis M. Tobenski grew up in Kankakee, IL. In 2004, he graduated from Illinois State University, where he studied Vocal Performance with baritone John M. Koch, and Music Theory & Composition with composers Stephen Andrew Taylor, David Feurzeig and Serra Hwang. After finishing his Bachelor's degree, Dennis moved to New York City, where he studied privately for nearly three years with composer Daron Aric Hagen. Dennis currently studies with David Del Tredici at the City College of New York, as a part of his Graduate studies in Composition.
In the Fall of 2002, Dennis was commissioned by the ISU School of Theatre to compose music for Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the inaugural production of the newly-constructed Center for the Performing Arts, which led him to write for several subsequent School of Theatre mainstage productions, including The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Brecht), and Sophocles’ Electra (McGuinness). The ISU College of Fine Arts commissioned the 2002 Elegy, a work for choir and chamber ensemble commemorating the events of September 11, 2001, and the 2004 Soliloquy for solo flute.
In 2002, Dennis was commissioned by baritone John M. Koch (whose 1996 performance of Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Florentine Opera was broadcast on PBS) to write Three Poems of Thomas Hardy. He later wrote music for the 2004 Chicago production of The Living Canvas, a performance art work for theatre that combines movement and dance with photographed images projected on the unclothed human form.
Dennis has written numerous works for the ISU Madrigal Singers, and recently completed Fair Robin I Love, a new work commissioned for the 50th Anniversary Season of the ISU Madrigal Dinners – the oldest tradition of its kind in the Midwest.
Along with composer Jeff Algera, Dennis founded the Tobenski-Algera Recital Series, a concert series devoted to the presentation of new works by young and emerging composers. On the Series' inaugural concert in April 2006, Dennis' song cycle And He'll Be Mine was premiered by tenor Rob Frankenberry and pianist Marc Peloquin. Dennis also sang the premieres of Jeff Algera's cycle Songs of Sex, Love & Desire, and Whispers of Heavenly Death by Darien Shulman. Later that year, Dennis conducted the premieres of his own Songs of Love & Madness, Algera's XX, Shulman's Teyze Variations, and Chris Czubay's String Quartet No. 1. In June 2007, Dennis sang the premiere of the piano-vocal version of David Del Tredici's song cycle Gay Life with tenor Rob Frankenberry and Del Tredici at the piano. In addition to being a part of the Series, the concert was a New York Gay Pride event, and a part of Del Tredici's 70th birthday celebration. He will also sing the role of Stanley in the premiere of Roger Zahab's opera Hegemony later this year.
In March 2007, Dennis was awarded a month-long residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, VA, where he composed till night is overgone, a 25-minute song cycle for tenor and piano commissioned by tenors Denton Tobenski and Rob Frankenberry.
2008 performances include the May premiere of Letter from a Young Poet on the Tobenski-Algera Concert Series, followed by the West Coast Premiere of the work at the University of Oregon; Starfish at Pescadero at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT by members of the Coast Guard Band in May, and by Percussia on the Tobenski-Algera Concerts in September; the premiere of a new cycle for soprano and piano on poetry by Mark Statman for the Staunton Music Festival in Staunton, VA; and the premiere of a new choral work for the Tobenski-Algera Concerts in November.
Dennis currently resides in New York City.
Download Dennis' résumé here.
In the Fall of 2002, Dennis was commissioned by the ISU School of Theatre to compose music for Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the inaugural production of the newly-constructed Center for the Performing Arts, which led him to write for several subsequent School of Theatre mainstage productions, including The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Brecht), and Sophocles’ Electra (McGuinness). The ISU College of Fine Arts commissioned the 2002 Elegy, a work for choir and chamber ensemble commemorating the events of September 11, 2001, and the 2004 Soliloquy for solo flute.
In 2002, Dennis was commissioned by baritone John M. Koch (whose 1996 performance of Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Florentine Opera was broadcast on PBS) to write Three Poems of Thomas Hardy. He later wrote music for the 2004 Chicago production of The Living Canvas, a performance art work for theatre that combines movement and dance with photographed images projected on the unclothed human form.
Dennis has written numerous works for the ISU Madrigal Singers, and recently completed Fair Robin I Love, a new work commissioned for the 50th Anniversary Season of the ISU Madrigal Dinners – the oldest tradition of its kind in the Midwest.
Along with composer Jeff Algera, Dennis founded the Tobenski-Algera Recital Series, a concert series devoted to the presentation of new works by young and emerging composers. On the Series' inaugural concert in April 2006, Dennis' song cycle And He'll Be Mine was premiered by tenor Rob Frankenberry and pianist Marc Peloquin. Dennis also sang the premieres of Jeff Algera's cycle Songs of Sex, Love & Desire, and Whispers of Heavenly Death by Darien Shulman. Later that year, Dennis conducted the premieres of his own Songs of Love & Madness, Algera's XX, Shulman's Teyze Variations, and Chris Czubay's String Quartet No. 1. In June 2007, Dennis sang the premiere of the piano-vocal version of David Del Tredici's song cycle Gay Life with tenor Rob Frankenberry and Del Tredici at the piano. In addition to being a part of the Series, the concert was a New York Gay Pride event, and a part of Del Tredici's 70th birthday celebration. He will also sing the role of Stanley in the premiere of Roger Zahab's opera Hegemony later this year.
In March 2007, Dennis was awarded a month-long residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, VA, where he composed till night is overgone, a 25-minute song cycle for tenor and piano commissioned by tenors Denton Tobenski and Rob Frankenberry.
2008 performances include the May premiere of Letter from a Young Poet on the Tobenski-Algera Concert Series, followed by the West Coast Premiere of the work at the University of Oregon; Starfish at Pescadero at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT by members of the Coast Guard Band in May, and by Percussia on the Tobenski-Algera Concerts in September; the premiere of a new cycle for soprano and piano on poetry by Mark Statman for the Staunton Music Festival in Staunton, VA; and the premiere of a new choral work for the Tobenski-Algera Concerts in November.
Dennis currently resides in New York City.
Download Dennis' résumé here.
