There are so many things to love about being a composer, but the greatest is the opportunity to collaborate.
BM in composition
Brigham Young University
MM in Composition
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Coach/accompanist for the music theater department
University of the Arts
Composer and pianist Charis Bean Duke finds her creative muse in every day life. The rhythm of a subway ride becomes a pulsing dance for cello and piano while the laughter of children shows up in a choral work. She enjoys listening to and performing everything from Palestrina to George Crumb and is especially inspired by Bach and Shostakovich.
Charis has been involved in theater since childhood and has found the perfect meeting of her two great loves, theater and music, in her children's operas. These operas are written for children ages 5 to 14 to sing and perform and are based upon folktales and children's literature. She personally workshops and directs many of the productions, acting as a composer-in-residence, coach, and mentor to the children.
Sample Works
Choral Music
Instrumental Music
Children's Operas
The Twelve Dancing Princesses from The Brothers Grimm
Scenes from The Twelve Dancing Princesses, music and libretto by Charis Bean Duke
