Born on April 18, 1982, Dennis Tobenski grew up in Kankakee, IL. In 2004, he graduated from Illinois State University, where he studied Vocal Performance with baritone John M. Koch, and Music Theory & Composition with composers Stephen Andrew Taylor, David Feurzeig and Serra Hwang. After finishing his Bachelor's degree, Dennis moved to New York City, where he studied privately for nearly three years with composer Daron Aric Hagen. Dennis completed his Master of Arts degree in Composition at the City College of New York, where he studied with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Del Tredici.
In the Fall of 2002, Dennis was commissioned by the ISU School of Theatre to compose music for Shakespeare's The Tempest, the inaugural production of the newly-constructed Center for the Performing Arts, which led him to write for several subsequent School of Theatre mainstage productions, including The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Brecht), and Sophocles' Electra (McGuinness). The ISU College of Fine Arts commissioned the 2002 Elegy, a work for choir and chamber ensemble commemorating the events of September 11, 2001, and the 2004 Soliloquy for solo flute.

In 2002, Dennis was commissioned by baritone John M. Koch (whose 1996 performance of Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Florentine Opera was broadcast on PBS) to write Three Poems of Thomas Hardy. He later wrote music for the 2004 Chicago production of The Living Canvas, a performance art work for theatre that combines movement and dance with photographed images projected on the unclothed human form.

Dennis has written numerous works for the ISU Madrigal Singers, and recently completed Fair Robin I Love, a new work commissioned for the 50th Anniversary Season of the ISU Madrigal Dinners – the oldest tradition of its kind in the Midwest.

Along with composer Jeff Algera, Dennis founded the Tobenski-Algera Concert Series, devoted to the presentation and promotion of new works by young and emerging composers. On the Series' inaugural concert in April 2006, Dennis' song cycle And He'll Be Mine was premiered by tenor Rob Frankenberry and pianist Marc Peloquin. Dennis also sang the premieres of Jeff Algera's cycle Songs of Sex, Love & Desire, and Whispers of Heavenly Death by Darien Shulman. Later that year, Dennis conducted the premieres of his own Songs of Love & Madness, Algera's XX, Shulman's Teyze Variations, and Chris Czubay's String Quartet No. 1. In June 2007, Dennis sang the premiere of the piano-vocal version of David Del Tredici's song cycle Gay Life with tenor Rob Frankenberry and Del Tredici at the piano. In addition to being a part of the Series, the concert was a New York Gay Pride event, and a part of Del Tredici's 70th birthday celebration. He will also sing the role of Stanley in the premiere of Roger Zahab's opera Hegemony in 2010.

Dennis has received fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Prairie Center of the Arts, the Ucross Foundation, and the Staunton Music Festival, and has had works performed by such ensembles as Percussia, The IonSound Project, the Illinois State University Madrigal Singers, the ISU Concert Choir, and members of the United States Coast Guard Band.

Current and recent commissions include: echoes (2008) for soprano and piano on poetry by Mark Statman, commissioned by the Staunton Music Festival in Staunton, VA; at least a moment (2008-2009) for soprano and harp, and plenty of time for soprano, baritone, and harp, on poetry by Kenneth Koch, commissioned by harpist Megan Sesma and soprano Patricia Schuman; a new work for piccolo trumpet and string quartet, commissioned by trumpet player David Glukh; a new work for violin and piano, commissioned by violinist Roger Zahab; Take All My Loves (2009), commissioned by Dr. Karyl Carlson and the Illinois State University Concert Choir; and Best at Dawn for pianist Marc Peloquin.

Dennis currently resides in New York City.

Download Dennis' résumé here.