Artistic Director

Jeffrey Benson is beginning his twelfth season as Artistic Director of Peninsula Cantare. He also serves as the Charlene Archibeque Endowed Professor of Choral Music and Director of Choral Activities at San José State University. The Washington Post hails his choirs for singing “with an exquisite blend, subtlety of phrasing, confident musicianship and fully supported tone.”

Dr. Benson made his international conducting debut with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the SJSU Choraliers in Limerick, Ireland in 2016, and he made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut ten years ago. He has served as cover conductor for the Grammy award-winning Washington Chorus, where he helped to prepare the ensemble for Maestros Leonard Slatkin and Marvin Hamlisch.

In 2025, Benson will return to Carnegie Hall to conduct Elaine Hagenberg’s Illuminare with orchestra and chorus, and he will conduct Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard at Washington National Cathedral with Berkshire Choral International. Recently Dr. Benson’s choirs have been invited to perform with the Rolling Stones, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, the Los Angeles Festival Orchestra and the Skywalker Orchestra.

Dr. Benson is a published composer and arranger, and is the editor of the Jeffrey Benson Choral Series with Gentry Publications. His compositions are published with Colla Voce Music and Santa Barbara Music Publishing, under the Charlene Archibeque Choral Series.

Benson is Past President of the California Choral Directors Association (CCDA) and currently serves on the National Advocacy and Collaboration Committee for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). He received his Master’s degree and his Doctorate in Choral Conducting/Music Education from The Florida State University and his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from New York University.