He won the prestigious ASCAP Young Composer Award in 2001, followed by a commission for the National Symphony Orchestra, Razzle, which premiered at the Kennedy Center with conductor Leonard Slatkin. He has composed over 30 works including commissions for the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Aeolian Chamber Players, Flexible Music, and Seal Bay Festival, among others. A dynamic teacher and musician, Shende teaches a wide range of composition and music theory courses and directs Bowdoin's electronic music program. He also performs as a concert guitarist, sitarist and vocalist. He earned a BA from Grinnell College, a Master of Music from Butler University, and a Ph.D. in composition from Cornell University. He has taught at Bowdoin since 2002. Read more.