Benjamin Irom Profile

Dr. Benjamin Irom

• College of Arts & Sciences
• Department: Humanities, Music Program partnership with Temple College
• Temple College, Music Department, Professor
• Email: benjamin.irom@tamuct.edu

Benjamin Irom is currently Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Temple College in Temple, Texas. In addition to teaching music theory and both classical and jazz piano, he is the director of the Temple Jazz Orchestra, a 20-piece big band comprised of some of the best jazz musicians in central Texas. Benjamin is also Adjunct Lecturer of Music at Texas A&M University – Central Texas. Prior to these appointments, he spent two years as Director of Jazz Studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Benjamin has also served as Adjunct Instructor of music theory at Riverside Community College in Riverside, California, and as Assistant Instructor of music theory and jazz at The University of Texas at Austin.

In 1992, Benjamin received his B.A. in Music from The University of California, Santa Cruz, where he studied composition with David Cope and piano with Mary Jane Cope. He completed his M.A. in music composition from The University of California, Los Angeles in 1995 after having studied with composers Ian Krouse, Paul Reale, and Elaine Barkin. In May of 2003, Benjamin received a D.M.A. in composition with jazz emphasis at The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied closely with Richard Lawn, Jeff Hellmer, John Mills, and Donald Grantham.

Benjamin has had the opportunity to perform alongside numerous jazz and Latin jazz legends, including Paquito D'Rivera, Poncho Sanchez, Arturo Sandoval, Christian McBride, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Shew, Randy Brecker, Jim Pugh, Rufus Reid, James Moody, Roy Hargrove, Kenny Burrell, Eddie Daniels, John Fedchock, Marcus Printup, Ed Calle, Bill Watrous, Butch Miles, and Bob Mintzer. His music is available for purchase through The University of Northern Colorado Jazz Press.