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Theory and Composition Faculty
Simon Andrews, Department Head
Composition
b. Croydon, England B.A. Christ Church, Oxford, England
B.Mus. in composition, Christ Church, Oxford
M.A. Christ Church, Oxford, England
Ph.D. University of California, BerkeleyEducated at Chichester Cathedral Choir School, and Christ Church, Oxford, Simon Andrews pursued composition and piano accompaniment studies at the Royal Academy of Music. Winner of the 1985 Benjamin Britten Composition Prize, Dr. Andrews's compositions have been performed throughout the United States and England, France, China and Zambia and broadcast on BBC Radio. In addition to his composition activities, Dr. Andrews has been active as a conductor of opera on both coasts, music director of the Harrisburg Choral Society, and involved in education as assistant professor of Music and director of Choral Ensembles at Franklin & Marshall College. He joined the faculty of the Pennsylvania Academy of Music in 2001.
Jack Behrens, Dean of Advanced Academic Studies
b. Lancaster, Pennsylvania
B.Sc. The Juilliard School
M.Sc. The Juilliard School
Ph.D. Harvard University
Prior to joining the Pennsylvania Academy of Music, Jack Behrens was Director of Academic Studies at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Previous administrative posts included serving as Dean of the Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario (1980-86) where Dr. Behrens was named Professor Emeritus in 1998.
A composer, pianist, educator and administrator, Dr. Behrens studied composition at Juilliard (William Bergsma, Peter Mennin, Vincent Persichetti), Harvard (Leon Kirchner, Roger Sessions) and at the Aspen Music Festival with Darius Milhaud. He has received commissions from such organizations as the American Dance Festival, the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and has been awarded residencies at centers such as the Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Northwood University's Alden B. Dow Creativity Center, the Banff Centre in Alberta and the Eduard van Beinum Foundation in Breukelen, Holland. He regularly reviews new books for Choice.
He is represented as composer and/or pianist on several record labels. Current publishers include The Avondale Press, Mayfair Music and the Canadian National Conservatory of Music; many of his scores are available from the Canadian Music Centre. At the University of Alberta Dr. Bianca Baciu based her doctoral thesis on his "Homage" compositions for piano; Dr. Karin Di Bella of Brock University is preparing a catalog of his compositions. Dr. Behrens is on the faculty of The Royal Conservatory of Music Community School and joined the Academy's faculty in 2007.
