About
Ephraim Champion is an active composer (screen & stage) and musician based in Chicago, Illinois.
His music has been praised as “strongly individual,” “compelling,” and “distinctive” by the Chicago Classical Review.
Contemporary concert (classical) music: In 2021, Gaudete Brass premiered Ephraim’s work, Scenes from South Shore, Chicago, at the Ear Taxi Music Festival in Chicago. The following year, Ephraim showcased his talents with Humanhood, premiered by Constellation Men’s Ensemble for their fifth annual NOVA concert series. In 2023, Ephraim’s promising career was solidified when he was selected as the second annual Hearing in Color/La Caccina Young Composer-in-Residence. During this residency, he wrote All Things Sublime and Colossal for the virtuosic women’s acapella ensemble, La Caccina, and A Stone of Hope (Martin’s Song) for the Music Institute of Chicago’s annual MLK Celebration Concert, featuring the talents of multi-Grammy nominated pianist, Marta Aznavoorian. Ephraim’s music made its international debut with the world premiere of his Suite for the F Horn & Tenor Saxophone at the 2023 World Saxophone Congress in Spain. Shortly after, The Yamaha Tuba Duo (featuring Tuba extraordinaire, Sergio Carolino) commissioned Ephraim to write his next work, The Spectacle, which premiered in Fukuoka, Japan in March of 2024. In August, Ephraim’s piece, Vicariously Through You, was recorded as part of Project Encores, Vol. 2 album, commissioned by world-renowned classical saxophonist, Timothy McAllister.
Film/Media Scoring: In Ephraim’s film scores, his central focus is to figure out what a film “sounds like.” Using his extensive orchestral background/education fused with modern, electronic sounds, Ephraim creates sonic worlds that compliment the story and leave an impact—worlds that are epic, intimate, and most of all, emotional. His notable highlights include joining Slightly American Productions as their resident film composer in 2023, scoring Girls in the Back of the Club (multiple short-film festival awards) and Rejection is God’s Protection.
Musician: An accomplished horn player as well, Ephraim can be heard on Leo Sowerby’s “Synconata, H. 176a” with the Andy Baker Orchestra in an album released by Cedille Records entitled Leo Sowerby: The Paul White Commissions & Other Early Works and on composer Marcus Norris’ film score for the feature film Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. starring Michael K. Sterling & Regina Hall. Currently, Ephraim serves with the 484th United States Army Reserve Band out of Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He can also be found playing horn and improvising in jazz artist Isaiah Collier’s group known as The Celestials, playing keyboard/synth for Chicago hip-hop artist (and brother) Doso in his live band Doso LIVE, championing the works of black voices in classical music playing with the all-black JULIA orchestra under Kedrick Armstrong, or even performing some of his own works on horn/piano.
Outside of music: An avid writer as well, Ephraim maintains both an active blog on his website (ephraimchampion.com) and Medium.com as well as a weekly newsletter in his mailing list called The Imaginator Conglomerate, where he talks about creativity and self-improvement with the overall goal of empowering creatives to adopt the necessary mindset that will propel them toward their BIG dreams. When he has spare time, he enjoys to consume and write fiction. Ephraim also maintains a (very) active presence on all socials that showcase different aspects of his musical career, to include his process, current news/projects, advice, and more. Lastly, Ephraim enjoys spending time with his amazing wife, Kianti, and their two adorable Yorkies, Heath & Ginger.