Benjamin Wegner

Director of Vocal Music

Now in his fourth year as Director of Vocal Music at St. Edmond Catholic School, Benjamin Wegner oversees two curricular choral ensembles, one co-curricular show choir, and an extra-curricular chamber choir. Under his direction, his students have received Division I ratings at solo/small ensemble contest, performed at the IHSMA Outstanding Performing Showcase, received OPUS honors, and found success at the All-State level. Additionally, he has organized the rotating Catholic Choral Festival, a gathering of five Catholic high schools from across the Diocese of Sioux City.

Ben received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa where he was a section leader of the Nordic Choir. Born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, he returned there after his undergraduate studies and led many different musical ensembles. At the church level, he was the Director of Music at Jehovah Lutheran Church for two years. In 2012, he co-founded Baroque Summer Worship, a community event featuring a work from the Baroque era within the context of worship. Also as music director, he led singers and instrumentalists of Lakeshore Community Players Theater in performances of FORUM (2016), YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (2015), and THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD (2014) as well as serving as music director for their youth theater camp, Young Stars of the Stage.

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Ben is an active performer and still maintains ties to the Twin Cities as an occasional performer with the Bach Society of Minnesota and Consortium Carissimi. Prior to his residency in Iowa, he gave many memorable performances with Dr. Matthew Culloton and The Singers-Minnesota Choral Artists. With this ensemble, he was featured as a soloist for Handel's Dixit Dominus and Herbert Howell's Requiem. He has also sang as a member of the Des Moines Choral Society under the direction of Dr. James Rodde. As a recitalist, he performed Britten's The Holy Sonnets of John Donne and Mahler's Kindertotenlieder as part of the 2017 recital series of St. James Episcopal Church in Grosse Ile, Michigan.

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Ben has found success as a composer. He has been commissioned by The Singers-Minnesota Choral Artists and his original compositions and arrangements have been performed by professional, high school, middle school, community, and church ensembles and have been featured at honor choir gatherings throughout the United States. His most successful composition, "He Leadeth Me," was featured in 2017 at the National American Choral Director's Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the National Conference for Sacred Music in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the American Guild of Organists chapter of Dallas, Texas and is featured as an "Editor's Choice" selection for MorningStar Music. From 2014-2018, Ben was the band director and arranger of music for the University of Minnesota's 4-H Arts In program of Washington County.