2022/23 YOUNG COMPOSER RESIDENCY

Ephraim Champion

Ephraim Champion is an active musician and composer in Chicago, Illinois. He received his Bachelor’s of Music in Performance (Horn) from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) where he studied with horn professors Kelly Langenberg and Jeremiah Frederick. At UIC, Ephraim was a recipient of the Joy and Bob Harnack Award and the winner of the Conducting Apprenticeship for Orchestra. He also studied composition with Marc Mellits, and composed for chamber groups such as The Back Pocket Duo and electric guitar quartet Instruments of Happiness. In 2020, Ephraim played horn on Leo Sowerby’s piece “Synconata, H. 176a” with the Andy Baker Orchestra on an album released by Cedille Records. The following year, Ephraim’s composition, Scenes from South Shore, Chicago, was commissioned and premiered by the Gaudete Brass Quintet as part of the 2021 Ear Taxi Music Festival, receiving praise from the Chicago Classical Review as a “strongly individual and compelling work”. In 2022, Ephraim’s vocal piece, Humanhood, was premiered as part of Constellation Men’s Ensemble’s 5th annual NOVA concert series.

Currently, Ephraim is pursuing his Master’s Degree in Orchestral Studies at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. He is also a member of the 484th United States Army Reserve Band out of Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Committed to the growth of music and contribution to his community, Ephraim serves as the Artistic Director and horn instructor at the West Point School of Music. Occasionally, Ephraim can be found playing horn and improvising in Isaiah Collier's group, The Celestials; playing keyboard/synth for Chicago hip-hop artist (and brother) Doso in his live band; or even performing some of his own piano works.