The American composer Thomas Beveridge has had a distinguished professional career as singer, conductor, instrumentalist and teacher, in addition to his activity as a composer. At Harvard he studied composition with Randall Thompson and Walter piston, proceeding to further study with Nadia Boulanger, with whom he also performed in Europe. He first attracted attention in late adolescence when his choral works were performed by the Harvard Glee Club and Radcliffe Choral Society and published by E.C. Schirmer. He has written more than 450 works in all musical genres, including three symphonies and more than 150 songs. His cantata Once: In Memoriam Martin Luther King, Jr. was commissioned by the Choral Arts Society, which also recorded the work under the direction of Norman Scribner.
