Terry Champlin was originally educated as a theoretical physicist at MIT, he then switched to music, studying guitar with such artists as Luis Garcia Renart, Alexander Bellow, and Mark Sokol (among others). His primary composition teachers were David Loeb and Robert Cuckson. He has written over 100 pieces for all mediums, from orchestra to solo classical guitar. His music has been performed in Korea, Japan, Mexico, Greece and throughout Europe by such artists as Evangelos and Liza, David Starobin, Hae Quan Oh, John Solum, Srdjan Berdovic, Betty-Jean Hagen, Kosei Kubota, Music for Six Hands, the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, the Christ the King Seminary Choir, Eugene Friesen, Capital Chamber Artists, and the Highlands Symphony.

As a guitarist, he has performed in the “Hear America First” series in Carnegie Recital Hall, at Avery Fischer Hall, with the Concord String Quartet, at the Bar Harbor New Music Festival, at the New York Guitar Seminar, and in the Fairbanks Music Festival. Several of his recordings have been released on the “Viennese Modern Masters” label. He has been frequently featured on WNYC where he has presented many of his own works, and he has performed his compositions on the “Ars Nova” television series. 

In addition, Mr. Champlin has done extensive editing and arranging, working with, among others, Alan Hovhaness, William Schumann, David Amram, David Loeb, Peter Stearns, and Robert Cuckson. He teaches at Vassar College and the Mannes College of Music. His arrangements of music from the classical and romantic masters are often featured in his performances.