Jeffrey Derus is an award-winning American composer and producer. His music has gained a worldwide presence with commissions and performances from ensembles such as Choral Arts Initiative, INSPIRARE, Constellation Men’s Ensemble, Inversion Ensemble, and KC VITAS. Hailed as “powerful, dramatic, lucid” (Sonograma Magazine) and “elegant” (Voice of OC), his music is “akin to that of Holy Minimalism.” (AllMusic) 
 Derus’ premiere concert work, From Wilderness: A Meditation on the Pacific Crest Trail, captures the transformative experience of traveling the Pacific Crest Trail. From Wilderness made its commercial debut in April 2022 with Choral Arts Initiative. It ranked #3 on the Billboard Charts (Traditional Classical), #2 Best Seller on iTunes Classical Charts, and #1 New Release Vocal Albums on Amazon. From Wilderness has been praised for its “fascinating and multifaceted sound world.” (CD Hotlist) “It just doesn’t get much better than this.” (Take Effect Reviews) 
 Jeffrey is the winner of the 2023 ACDA Brock Prize for Professional Composers for his piece “I Will Go”. He is also a recipient of the Britten-Pears and Holst Foundation residency in Aldeburgh, UK. Jeffrey is a member of Chorus America, ACDA, & the Recording Academy. 
 As a founding board member and choral artist of Choral Arts Initiative; he is called to perform emerging choral works and compose “music with pros he can proudly rub elbows with.” (Midwest Records) 
 For more visit: www.jeffreyderus.com