From Darkness to Light: Benjamin Roberts’ Musical Journey in Judaean Exultations

Benjamin Roberts, a multifaceted musician and dramatist from the United States, was awarded the Diamond Prize for his work Judaean Exultations in the Arranged & Transcribed Work Category of the 2025 Season 3 Erik Satie International Music Competition.

Could you share the inspiration behind your work Judaean Exultations and the message you hope to convey through it? What was your creative process like while arranging and orchestrating it?

Judaean Exultations tells the story of Chanukah through a medley of traditional and liturgical songs. Recurring battle drums and horn calls evoke the Maccabean revolt of the second century B.C., whereafter the Judaeans, victorious, rededicated the Second Temple in Jerusalem by lighting a menorah. Chanukah celebrates this victory and the great miracle that happened when what appeared to be only a single day’s supply of oil lasted for eight nights. The eight nights of Chanukah coincide with the new moon phase of the lunar cycle, and so they are often the darkest nights of the year, making them fitting for a festival of candle light. The songs included, Ma'oz Tzur, Mi Y'malel, Blessings over the candles, Sevivon, and Chanukah, O Chanukah!, are all life-affirming reminders that even on the darkest of nights, there will be light.

How did you approach the collaboration with the USAF Band of the Golden West to bring your work to live performance?

As an active-duty staff composer and arranger for United States Air Force Bands, I get the privilege of writing new music, as well as transcribing orchestral music, for each of our four annual concert cycles. This particular work is based on a woodwind double-quintet by our principal Technical Sergeant Daniel Shifren, which I expanded for a full symphonic band, and it has become a staple in our holiday concert repertoire. The U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West is based at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California, and we regularly perform in Washington State, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona on a mission to honor, inspire, and connect through music.

Biography

A multifaceted musician and dramatist, Benjamin Roberts is an emerging voice in both the musical theatre and the concert hall. His work has been performed in over a dozen countries across four continents, on television, at major league sporting events, and in theaters nationwide. Roberts has crafted arrangements for Broadway and Hollywood stars and received commissions from notable groups including Northwestern University and the White House. He currently serves as a staff composer for United States Air Force bands, writing and arranging for America’s premier musicians in an esteemed position previously held by John Williams, Sammy Nestico, and Henry Mancini. Benjamin is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in 2026 will begin work in the U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific in Tokyo. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music with a major in music education from Northwestern University, where he returns annually to guest-lecture in orchestration and music technology.

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