Benjamin Ellin's Biography
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Benjamin Ellin
Artistic Director Principal Conductor
Benjamin Ellin is currently Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of EMFEB, Music Director of the Seychelles International Festival of Music, Director of Music at the Pembroke Academy of Music and Principal Conductor of the Hayes Symphony Orchestra. In 2007 Benjamin was awarded 2nd Prize and the Public Prize from the first ever Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Luxembourg and subsequently made his debut with the Luxembourg Philharmonic conducting Rachmaninov's 2nd Symphony.

Highlights of his forthcoming 2007-2008 season include debut concerts with both the Russian National State Symphony Orchestra and the Bolshoi Symphony in Moscow, recordings with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and tours to the Seychelles as well as collaborations with the Israeli Philharmonic's Principal Flautist Yossi Arnheim, Violinists Ruth Waterman and Rivka Golani, Pianist Ingrid Filter, Violist Maxim Rysanov and Soprano Elizabeth Watts amongst others. Other appearances include the inaugural concert for the Jersey Chamber Orchestra, the Slaithwaite Philharmonic Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra Sinfonietta and New London Opera Group. Benjamin has recently worked with cellist Robert Cohen, Violinists Thomas Gould and Harriet Mackenzie and he has conducted in the Czech Republic, Germany, America, Holland, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg and Russia and at venues including the Barbican Hall, Philharmonie (Luxembourg), Konzerthaus (Berlin) and the Hermitage Theatre (Russia).

Born in Bolton (1980), Benjamin studied at Chetham's School of Music, Manchester and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where he graduated in 2002 after studying conducting and composition. Benjamin has taken part in master classes with Gianandrea Noseda in Stresa, Italy (2006), and with Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra (2005). He has studied privately with Sir Colin Davis since 2002 and in 2003 received tuition from Bernard Haitink KBE. In 2001 Benjamin participated in the International Workshop for Conductors in St. Petersburg, Russia, studying with Alexandre Polistchuk and Michail Kukuchkin with support from HRH The Prince of Wales.

Benjamin Ellin is noted for his work with audiences and musicians alike, his diversity of repertoire and his fresh and undaunted approach to the more standard greats. His commitment to offering first class classical culture to as wide an audience as possible is best highlighted through his work with his own organisation, EMFEB, based in London, where their acclaimed performances and presentations of old and new music has drawn new audiences to their work and has seen the organisation travel across the country and abroad.

Benjamin is a committed exponent of 20th Century and current contemporary music and he has drawn on composers to produce works for nearly all of his concert programmes. As an extension of this, Benjamin also continues his committed work with the Composer's Sinfonietta of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain together with Professors Paul Patterson and Gary Carpenter.

Passionate about learning and working with other musical cultures. In November and December 2006 Benjamin launched EMFEB's first series of concerts in association with Spiro Ark and Tzavta in West London which is aimed at discovering and performing Israeli music. In 2007/2008 Benjamin will collaborate with Syrian musician Louai Alhenawi on a project aimed at combining musical traditions from the Middle East, Western Musical Traditions and Benjamin's own compositions.

Benjamin's dual career as conductor and composer includes a compositional output that is prolific and encompasses a wide variety of genres. In 2007 Benjamin signed a publishing deal with Prince's Trust Music Publishing. His new work for brass ensemble will be premiered by the Royal Academy and James Watson in October 2007 and in November 2007 Violinist Harriet Mackenzie will premiere his new work for solo violin. His theatre scores have been used by the Sheffield Crucible, RADA, GSMD and Rose Bruford College with concert premieres taking place as far a field as Los Angeles, Prague as well as at venues including the Barbican Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Recent concert commissions include new works for trio Calisto and a new work for choir and orchestra to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Piggott's Music Camp. Current projects include solo works harp and flute, wind quintet and orchestra, solo oboe and his first opera.

Education is another field that Benjamin is not only highly experienced in but passionate about. In January 2006 he accepted the offer of Director of Music at Pembroke Academy of Music, London. In addition to this Benjamin has taught regularly at the Junior GSMD and the Junior RAM as well as lecturing at the Rose Bruford College and has lead workshops and master classes both here and abroad. Benjamin regularly conducts a variety of youth orchestras around Southern England and was a key member of the inaugural National Youth Orchestra's In School Projects in 2002. Additionally in 2002, he collaborated with the creative writing team at HMP Pentonville on a set of texts which he used as the basis for his choral work, Verses from the Other World.

Visit Ben's website: www.benjaminellin.com