His orchestral works have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, the Austrian Radio Orchestra, the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra, the Saarbruecken Radio Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Philharmonic, and the symphony orchestras of Louisville, Colorado, San Jose, Memphis, Nashville, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, Austin, Lubbock, Long Island, and others.

Ticheli's awards include the Charles Ives Scholarship and Goddard Lieberson Fellowship, both from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, First Prize in the Texas Sesquicentennial Orchestral Composition Competition, the Frances and William Schuman Fellowship from the MacDowell Colony, and the Ross Lee Finney Award. The Pacific Symphony Orchestra's KOCH label recording featuring Ticheli's Radian Voices and Postcard received an honorable mention at the 1994 national Association of Independent Record Distributors (NAIRD).

His eleven compositions for wind ensemble and concert band have been performed widely throughout the world, and have been awarded several prizes including the 1989 Walter Beeler Price, and First Prize in the eleventh annual "Symposium for New Music" held in Virginia. He has received commissions and grants from Chamber Music America, The American Music Center, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Chorale, Prince George's Philharmonic Orchestra, Adrian Symphony, City of San Antonio, Stephen F. Austin State University, University of Michigan, Trinity University, Indiana Bandmasters Association, Worldwide Concurrent Premieres, Inc., and others.

Frank Ticheli received his doctoral and masters degrees in composition from The University of Michigan where he studied with William Albright, George Wilson, and Pulitzer Prize winners Leslie Bassett and William Bolcom. His works are published by Manhattan Beach Music, Encore Music, and PP Music Publishers, and are recorded on the labels of Koch International Classics, Klavier, and Mark Records.