Steelpan Arranger
Mia Gormandy

Dr. Mia Gormandy-Benjamin

Mia Gormandy - birdsong Steel Orchestra
Panorama Championships
Trinidad & Tobago -

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Mia Gormandy is an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) and received her PhD candidate in musicology from Florida State University (FSU). She has also been the arranger for birdsong Steel Orchestra and the co-founder of Pastiche Steel Ensemble and the Virtual Steelband.

A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Mia has performed in several different countries around the world including Australia, Austria, England, Japan, USA, Canada and countries of the Caribbean. At age fifteen, she attained a full scholarship to attend Northern Illinois University (NIU) where she graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music degree. In 2008, she became the first panist to ever win the NIU Concerto Competition. Mia guest starred at several American university steelbands including University of Akron Steel Drum Band and Homboldt State University Calypso Band.

Several different committees awarded her over the years including the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation and the Port-of-Spain City Corporation. She was also awarded “One of NIU’s Most Outstanding Women of the Year 2011.”

Mia graduated in May of that year with her Master of Music degree in steelpan performance. She has performed with many world-renowned artists such as 11-time Grammy award winner Paquito D’Rivera.  In 2013, Mia graduated with a second Master of Music degree in musicology at FSU.  While pursuing her PhD, her dissertation topic was entitled “Pan in Japan.” She is also a recipient of the Howard Mayer Brown Fellowship awarded by the American Musicological Society. For more information please visit miagormandy.com.



 

 
 
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