Ben is an internationally renowned conductor, educator and innovator, who has received global acclaim for his pioneering work with online music-making. Ben is the principal of Earth Choir Academy, a newly founded non-profit organisation, dedicated to building and supporting the choral repertoire through exceptional teaching and music-making.
Ben is the founder of homechoir – a new way of learning, singing and performing music in a safe and entertaining manner whilst social distancing. Homechoir is a free choir for everyone, and you can take part here: https://homechoir.org, or by visiting the YouTube Channel via this link: www.youtube.com/homechoir
In October 2020, Ben was honoured with the British Empire Medal by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Birthday Honours as one of 400 heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ben has since been nominated for and received multiple awards and commendations, including a Commendation by the Royal Philharmonic Society in December 2020, the award for “Kantele of the Year” from the Finnish Kantele Association Kanteleliito, a nomination for the Music and Drama Education Awards “Inspiration Award” in 2022 and the University of Bristol Alumni Award for Community Engagement and Impact 2022. In 2023, Eric Whitacre made Ben his “teacher of the week” (https://ericwhitacre.com/totw)
Ben is the co-founder of Choir of the Earth, an online choir with thousands of members, which has grown to one of the largest and most successful choirs in the world. Their inaugural project Messiah at Home was produced with some of the world’s greatest musicians including Laurence Cummings, Carolyn Sampson and Jennifer Johnston and gained international attention. Messiah at Home was featured on the national BBC Evening News, all the BBC radio stations, NHK (Japan) CBS (USA) and many more – and has become part of the official Wikipedia entry for Messiah. The choir has recorded such amazing works as Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem and Allegri’s Miserere – working with the world-famous choir Tenebrae and their conductor, Nigel Short. Ben conducted the choir in the World Premiere of Still, Still the Night by Patrick Hawes in December 2020, and their version of Hawes’ Quanta Qualia was played on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. You can read more here: Choir Of The Earth
Ben has led international tours of the great choral works, conducting in such amazing venues as St Peter’s Hallé Manchester, the Royal Northern College of Music, St Cuthbert’s Edinburgh, St Peter Mancroft Norwich and dozens of other first-rate spaces. In 2023 Ben led a performance of Messiah in Dublin on the anniversary of its first performance, and in 2024 he conducted Mozart’s Requiem in Salzburg. In 2025, he will be leading a trip to Eisenstadt to conduct Haydn’s Nelson Mass in the Esterhazy Palace where Haydn lived and worked for decades.
In 2023, Ben founded Gamechoir, an innovative choir celebrating music from video games. Gamechoir recorded iconic pieces from Skyrim, Minecraft, and the world’s largest Halo chant, with over 5,000 voices participating. This unique project is part of Ben’s broader mission to make music accessible and fun for all, uniting diverse communities through shared musical experiences.
Ben is also the Musical Director of the North Somerset Philharmonia, leading performances that range from classical masterworks to engaging community-focused events. Recent sold-out performances include Mahler’s 4th symphony, Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov, Elgar’s Enigma Variations and The Lark Ascending. (click here for more)
In addition to his work with choirs and orchestras, Ben’s projects have raised tens of thousands for charity. Beneficiaries include MacMillan Cancer Support (in collaboration with Jamie Mackenzie-Hall), the Alzheimer’s Society, Marmalade (a charity addressing loneliness), Shelter, Talk Club, and many more.
A graduate of the University of Bristol, where he specialised in conducting, Ben’s career has spanned over 30 years, working with numerous choirs and orchestras across the UK.