Benjamin Penwell

Benjamin Penwell is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Music at Knox College, where he has been teaching since 2025. His interdisciplinary work bridges academic research, technology, and avant-garde composition.

Education:

• BMus in Composition, University of Oregon (2016)
• MM in Composition and Music Theory, Boston University (2018)
• PhD in Composition and Music Technology, Northwestern University (2025)

Dr. Penwell's research explores experimental sound design, extreme metal musicology, and post-classical innovation. Key interests include: Max/MSP programming for live performance, extended instrumental techniques, microtonality through just intonation, and deconstructive approaches to musical notation. His current creative project is the solo album Weight, Light, and Majesty, synthesizing black metal aesthetics with ambient textures and contemporary classical structures.

No awards, grants, student advisees, or lab affiliations are mentioned in the available documentation.