A native of Washington, D.C., Steven A. Ward is an emerging composer whose work bridges the worlds of classical art song, instrumental music, and African-American spirituals. Known for his expressive harmonic language and cultural reverence, Steven brings fresh perspective and heartfelt interpretation to the concert stage through both original compositions and thoughtful arrangements for solo voice and choir.

Steven’s musical foundation began with violin and piano, eventually finding his voice—literally and figuratively—as a singer in high school. Over the next two decades, he served as a soloist and section leader in churches across Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Tennessee, while simultaneously pursuing a career in education.

His compositional journey began in earnest during the global COVID-19 pandemic, a period that ignited his passion for writing music rooted in the rich legacy of African-American expression. In 2022, his first arrangement of the spiritual Hammering premiered in Memphis, and later that year one of his choral works was named runner-up among 32 new pieces by Black composers at the Bent, But Not Broken conference. Most recently, he completed a commission for the Augsburg University Choirs in Minnesota and will have a new choral piece published through Gentry Publications' Rock My Soul series, which highlights soulful choral traditions. He additionally was in the MNSong composer fellowship with Source Song Festival where his first song cycle, Invitation to Love, was premiered.

Steven holds degrees from Virginia State University (B.S., Agriculture) and Trinity Washington University (M.Ed., School Administration), and currently serves as leader in residence with an education foundation in the D.C. area. A committed community leader and lifelong learner, he is a proud lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and an inaugural member of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship.