Ben is twenty-one years old and is currently studying at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. His tuba playing career has already seen him perform in many of the major concert halls across Britain and Europe in addition to a number of diverse and smaller venues, such as Manchester’s Matt and Phred’s Jazz Club.
Originally from Bangor, North Wales, Ben now lives in Hesketh Bank near Preston. He began playing the cornet aged seven, moving to trumpet at ten when he entered the Junior School at the RNCM, where he spent eight years. At twelve years old, Ben moved to tuba and has progressed vastly ever since.
Ben is the current BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Soloist of the Year. At the age of nineteen, he was awarded the title after successfully competing against hundreds of young brass players from across the country. These applicants were narrowed down to just four finalists who were selected to perform in the Grand Final held at the Royal Northern College of Music in April 2006. He was the first ever tuba player to win the competition, or, indeed, to reach the semi-final stage. Shortly after winning the prize, Ben was invited to perform as Guest Soloist with the world famous Black Dyke Band in their annual Gala Concert held in Leeds Town Hall. Ben has also appeared as soloist with the Royal Northern College of Music Brass Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra, both in June 2006. With the BBC Concert Orchestra, Ben performed live on BBC Radio 2’s ‘Friday Night is Music Night’ programme. The show is the world’s longest running ‘live music’ programme on radio, and is listened to by millions worldwide.
In April 2007, Ben was invited back by the BBC Concert Orchestra to perform the Jabba the Hutt theme from the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi. This performance was part of the BBC’s celebrations for the thirtieth anniversary of the first Star Wars film, recorded for a special ‘Friday Night is Music Night’ programme from LSO St. Luke’s.
In September 2006, Ben was the Guest Soloist at the British Open Brass Band Championships Gala Concert held in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. In this performance he played Martin Ellerby’s Tuba Concerto accompanied by the Foden’s Richardson Band. Ben also performed as Guest Soloist at the Royal Northern College of Music’s international Festival of Brass in January 2007 playing Joseph Horovitz’s Tuba Concerto with the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band.
The following year in February 2007, Ben successfully defended his Radio 2 title, becoming the first ever brass player to win the competition twice. Since winning the prize again, Ben was invited to perform as Guest Soloist in the English National Brass Band Championships Gala Concert in June 2007. This performance was held in Preston Guild Hall and again accompanied by the Foden’s Richardson Band. He was also invited to perform in another ‘Friday Night is Music Night’ broadcast as part of the prize.
With the BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Soloist titles, Ben hopes to perform solo recitals across the country, compete in further competitions both in the United Kingdom and internationally, and also to help promote the Tuba as an instrument for young musicians.
Ben is currently in his fourth year at the RNCM studying the Tuba with Ewan Easton of the Hallé Orchestra, Brian Kingsley of the Orchestra of Opera North, and Robin Haggart of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. In his first year at the college, Ben was awarded the Goronwy Evans Memorial Prize for outstanding brass playing after winning the college’s Brass Solo Competition.
In 2001, Ben gained a place in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain where he spent a memorable four years. For his final two years with the orchestra, Ben was Principal Tuba and was also the recipient of the John Fletcher Trust Award for outstanding brass playing. With the NYO he worked with some of today’s greatest conductors including Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Colin Davis, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Sir Simon Rattle, and played in many of the country’s finest concert halls and venues. In May 2006, Ben became a founding member and the first Principal Tuba player of the Kodály-Bartók World Youth Orchestra based in Hungary. He has toured Europe with the European Union Youth Orchestra with Vladimir Ashkenazy and is also a Reserve Member of the European Philharmonic Orchestra, based in Austria.
He has played with all of the county youth orchestras in his local area including Lancashire, Merseyside and Wigan Youth Orchestras, and Ben was a founder member of the Hallé Youth Orchestra in 2002. Ben already has a wealth of experience playing with Championship Section brass bands. With the Leyland Band, Ben won the North West Area Contest and the All England Masters Championships at just sixteen. Ben now plays regularly with the Sellers International Band from Huddersfield, and he often deputises with the world’s greatest bands including Black Dyke, Grimethorpe (UK Coal), Fodens Richardson and the Brighouse and Rastrick bands.
As a freelance musician he has worked with many different ensembles including the Hallé Orchestra, Polyphonic Brass Quintet, Britten-Pears Orchestra, Cyprus State Orchestra, Brass Spectrum, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, North West 9 Jazz Ensemble and Tubalaté, the only professional Tuba quartet in the United Kingdom. Ben is currently on Principal Tuba trials with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, based in the Sydney Opera House.
In his first year at the RNCM in 2004, Ben joined the Groves Brass Ensemble, an established quintet of fourth year students. With Groves, Ben has performed recitals in various venues across the country including the Purcell School, London, and in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall as part of the Manchester Lunchtime Recital Series. In April 2005, the Groves Brass Ensemble reached the final of the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition, successfully competing against Brass Quintets from all over the World, including some professional ensembles. In 2005, Ben became a founding member of the Skyline Brass Quintet with students from the RNCM. With Skyline, Ben has performed at international events including the world-famous Lunchtime Concert Series held at St. Martin in the Fields Church in London, and at the RNCM Festival of Brass.
Ben is currently involved in a new brass quintet project with current students and graduates of the RNCM called Metropolitan Brass. The ensemble have already performed full recitals and at various other events across the North of England since it's inception in July 2007 and are also members of the Live Music Now! education scheme.