About

      enton Donahue is a regular collaborative pianist and conductor for all-superior choirs notably performing at choral concerts, contests, and ceremonial events. He is studying at the University of Mississippi in pursuit of his undergraduate degree in music education with a vocal emphasis. At Ole Miss he is very active within the Choral Department, singing and playing for several of their ensembles. The University of Mississippi Concert Singers, under the direction of Donald Trott, is an auditioned ensemble with an established reputation for outstanding choral performance across the United States and Europe. Benton serves as rehearsal pianist for Men’s Glee, an ensemble that has a long history of choral excellence performing several times on and off campus, singing a wide variety of repertory for men. He has also been given the opportunity to perform as a collaborative pianist for Women’s Glee, under the direction of Libby Hearn, for several of their concerts. Benton is also a member of the Ole Miss ACDA Student Chapter, of which he serves as Vice President. The Ole Miss ACDA Student Chapter is a student-run organization that provides future choral directors and music educators with opportunities to be directly involved with their professional choral organization while in college.

 

Benton is the recipient of the Mary Donnelly Haskell music scholarship through the Ole Miss Women’s Council. The OMWC program provides significant guidance and training in leadership skills, exceptional life and career development, meaningful personal growth through cultural and travel opportunities, and beneficial alumni networking throughout the student’s tenure at the university. Benton is also an undergraduate assistant for the Living Music Resource. Through an application process, LMR selects both graduate and undergraduate students to work as assistants on projects and initiatives. LMR opportunities and mentorship allow students to connect with the professional world and prepare them for a multifaceted career. Benton also works in the Music Department office as the Communications Assistant for projects and events.

 

Benton was born and raised in Madison, MS where he led a musical-centered life both on stage and within the community. He works closely with the Center Players Community Theatre as music director and rehearsal pianist for their productions. Center Players provides affordable, quality, theatrical experiences to foster the arts in the community by uniting people from all walks of life in the spirit of volunteerism. By bringing talented non-equity artists from our community to the stage. Since moving to Oxford, MS he has been serving as a scholarship singer at Oxford-University United Methodist Church, secured his American Guild of Organists membership, and is in the voice studio of Dr. Jos Milton. I have been playing the piano for eight years with lessons from Jan Bruening, Mary Leigh Ochoa, and Dr. Ian Hominick.