About Bevan

​

Bevan has received composing and arranging commissions from ​the San Francisco Symphony, Sierra Chamber Music, Manhattan Transfer vocalist Cheryl Bentyne, Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra, French hornist Brian O'Connor, Pacific Philharmonic Foundation, clarinetist Gary Gray, and L.A. Chamber Orchestra violist Victoria Miskolczy, among others. 

​

Some recent orchestral music of his — Odesa Overture and Santa Monica Mountains (Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra) — were performed this past season by Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra with Evan Taucher, guitar. CHICO and Evan Taucher recently recorded the Guitar Concerto on the Newman Scoring Stage at FOX Studios with Musical Director KuanFen Liu conducting, for release in 2025. A documentary film is being made highlighting the making of this recording and the environmental issues of the Channel Islands and Santa Monica Mountains.

Bevan is currently finishing two new jazz/studio orchestra albums, Talking to Trees  and When the Cup is Lifted. The former features Tierney Sutton, vocals; Joe Locke, vibraphone; Donald Foster, clarinet; Ed Neumeister, trombone; Luca Alemanno, bass; Katherine Liner, vocals; Gayle Levant, harp; and Bevan Manson, piano; with 60 other musicians throughout the album in studio orchestra and small ensemble settings. The latter features Steve Kujala, pennywhistle; Phil O'Connor, clarinet; Gordon Au, trumpet; Ed Neumeister, trombone; Bernie Dresel and Matt Wilson, drums; Brad Dutz, percussion; Gayle Levant, harp; Calabria Foti, Ruth Bramson and Jen Kuhn, vocals; Amy Hershberger, violin; Luca Alemanno, bass; Bevan Manson, piano; and members of the Hollywood Studio Symphony, the Lyris Quartet, and the Santa Barbara Chamber Players.

​

​​His music has been performed by ArcoVoce (Washington , D.C.), the National Jazz Orchestra de Montreal , clarinetists Andrew Leonard, Gary Gray and Chester Brezniak, the Encore Saxophone Quartet, members of the Lyris Quartet, flutist Gina Izzo, the New Hollywood String Quartet, the Southern California Viola Choir, and many other extraordinary musicians.

​

He wrote and conducted string arrangements for saxophonist Gary Smulyan at New York's Blue Note jazz club, and for Manhattan Transfer singer Cheryl Bentyne's recent Sondheim album, Rearrangements of Shadows, of which JazzTimes Magazine mentioned 'a kaleidoscopic, edge-of-sanity Comedy Tonight that, courtesy of arranger Bevan Manson, blends Baroque courtliness with Big Top buffoonery.' He also recently produced and wrote several chamber orchestra arrangements for L.A. singer Cathy Segal-Garcia 's album The Jazz Chamber.

 

Flutist Katherine Fink of the Brooklyn Philharmonic premiered Bevan's California Concertino , with Paul Dunkel conducting, at the N.Y. Flute Fair.  A full orchestral version with soloist Sara Andon was recently released on Albany Records, along with several of his chamber works. 

​

Look for his two new CDs: Talking With Trees ~ TO BE RELEASED ON AUGUST 23rd

When the Cup is Lifted ~ TO BE RELEASED IN OCTOBER

These two albums feature an offering of his studio orchestra jazz compositions which honor endangered trees and peoples from around the globe. 

​