Troy Bennefield

Associate Professor of Music, Undergraduate Advisor

In his tenth year at Washington State University, Dr. Troy Bennefield serves as Associate Professor and the School of Music’s Undergraduate Program Coordinator. For nine years Dr. Bennefield served as Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands where he oversaw all aspects of the athletic bands and directed the Symphonic Band. Under his leadership, these ensembles demonstrated growth both in size and performance quality, with the Cougar Marching Band reaching nearly 250 members for the first time since the early 2000s. Dr. Bennefield is the School of Music assessment director and chairs the School’s UCORE committee. At the university level, Dr. Bennefield serves on the Catalog Subcommittee, the university’s UCORE committee, participates in college-level scholarship committees, and serves on the Faculty Senate. In 2019 Dr. Bennefield was selected to participate in WSU’s Provost Leadership Academy, a program that trains early and mid-career faculty to be future university leaders and mentors.

Dr. Bennefield is active as a guest-conductor, adjudicator, clinician, and percussionist, having presented, conducted, or performed in Vietnam, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Canada, and across the United States. Some of the more notable appearances include the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory, Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, CBDNA National Conference, the IGEB International Conference, and adjudications for multiple state championships. Dr. Bennefield’s research agenda includes the music and composers of the Holocaust as well as writing transcriptions for the wind band and other mediums. Dr. Bennefield is currently published by C-Alan Publications, Keyboard Percussion Publications, and Donemus, and his research has taken him to several European countries, often supported by university and external grants. An advocate for new and diverse music, Dr. Bennefield has commissioned or joined consortiums for several projects with his performances of these pieces receiving high reviews, even being called “deep and vital.” His most recent collaboration with composer Daniel Bernard Roumain was for wind band and wind quintet and was made possible by Dr. Bennefield’s 2018 WSU Arts and Humanities Fellowship. Dr. Bennefield was again awarded this Fellowship in 2021 for his work to engrave, publish, and record several works by Dutch-immigrant composer Julius Hijman.

A member of several music and academic professional organizations, Dr. Bennefield currently serves on the board of director for the Northwest Chapter of the College Music Society and was selected for the 2023-2023 CMS cohorts for both Aspiring Academic Leaders and Inclusive Pedagogy. In 2021 Dr. Bennefield was selected as a NAMM/CMS Fellow. Additionally, Dr. Bennefield is a board member for the Northwest Youth Music Association.

Prior to his time in Pullman, Dr. Bennefield previously served as Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Houston and also taught band at Alpharetta High School in suburban Atlanta where he was chosen 2007 Teacher of the Year. He earned his Doctorate in Instrumental Conducting as well as a Master’s in Percussion Performance from the University of Oklahoma, and a Bachelor’s in Music Education from the University of Alabama. Dr. Bennefield lives in Pullman, Washington with his wife Michelle, their three daughters, two cats, and a dog.