I Know That My Redeemer Lives – SAB

This lively arrangement of a 19th century folk hymn Shout On is an exceptional addition to any church program
About Dr. Michael Cox

Few musicians build careers that move as naturally between the composer’s desk, the classroom, the rehearsal hall, and the church as Dr. Michael Cox. An award-winning composer, conductor, pianist, and educator, Dr. Cox has spent decades creating music, developing young musicians, and leading choirs and orchestras in performances across the country.

The breadth of his career can be traced to his own musical education. Dr. Cox earned his Bachelor of Music with honors in piano performance from Oklahoma Baptist University, followed by a Master of Music in orchestral conducting from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and a Doctor of Music in composition from Florida State University. Together, those three areas—performance, conducting, and composition—became the foundation of his professional life.

Dr. Cox later returned to Oklahoma Baptist University as a faculty member, teaching composition, conducting, and music theory. For 13 years, he also directed the university’s Bison Glee Club. Founded in 1938, the auditioned men’s ensemble has become one of OBU’s longest-standing musical traditions, appearing in campus concerts, chapel services, homecoming programs, regional events, and tours throughout the United States and abroad. Under Dr. Cox’s leadership, generations of singers experienced the discipline, camaraderie, and expressive power of men’s choral music.

His work at OBU also included conducting the university’s annual Concerto-Aria Competition, which gave student soloists the opportunity to perform with musicians from the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1990, Dr. Cox continued his teaching career at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, where he served as Professor of Music Theory and Composition until his retirement in 2009. He also directed the Southwestern Seminary Men’s Chorus.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Cox remained an active and prolific composer. His catalog includes more than 160 published works for choirs, piano, orchestra, and instrumental ensembles. He began receiving the ASCAP Standard Award in 1987 and was selected as the commissioned composer for the Texas Music Teachers Association Conference in 1995. His music has been shaped by a deep understanding of both the practical needs of performers and the expressive possibilities available to them.

Dr. Cox’s conducting career has extended beyond the university campus. He has traveled widely as a choral clinician and has appeared as a guest conductor with the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving and the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra. Established in 1977, the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra is a volunteer ensemble that brings together musicians from varied backgrounds to perform traditional symphonic literature, contemporary music, and popular repertoire for the North Texas community.

Today, Dr. Cox continues his musical service as Composer-in-Residence at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth. Whether composing a new work, preparing a score as a music copyist and engraver, conducting an ensemble, or sharing a lifetime of musical knowledge, he brings together the careful craftsmanship of a scholar and the instincts of an experienced performer.