Sir GeorgeBenjamin

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  • Conductor
©Matthew Lloyd
©Matthew Lloyd

About Sir George

One of today’s most prominent composer-conductors, George Benjamin's works have been programmed by major orchestras and opera houses across the world.

Benjamin has written four highly acclaimed operas with author Martin Crimp: Into the Little Hill, Written on Skin, Lessons in Love and Violence and most recently Picture a day like this.

In June 2025 Benjamin performed the world premiere of his new work for piano four hands, Divisions, at the Boulez Saal in Berlin with his great friend Pierre-Laurent Aimard. During the 2025/26 season they will repeat the work in London, Washington DC and New York. They will also collaborate with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich. In spring 2026 he will conduct the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie on tour in both Italy and Germany. At the Southbank Centre in London he has performances with both the London Sinfonietta and London Philharmonic, the latter being a highlight of his first season as the orchestra’s new Composer-in-Residence.

Over many years he has developed a particularly close association with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, who played under his baton for several premieres of his works. Benjamin has also enjoyed a strong relationship with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Ensemble Modern.

Since 2001 Benjamin has been the Henry Purcell Professor of Composition at King‘s College London. He was knighted in 2017 and has received numerous honorary fellowships and international awards.

His works are published by Faber Music and are recorded on Nimbus Records.

Sir George is based in London

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Contact

For availability and general enquiries:

Alison Nethsingha

Alison Nethsingha

Senior Artist Manager

Representation

Worldwide general Management with Askonas Holt

Askonas Holt only represents George Benjamin as a conductor.
Any enquiries relating to his work as a composer please contact Faber Music.
http://www.fabermusic.com/composers/george-benjamin

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Season Highlights

Sep 2024
KKL Luzern
George Benjamin: Concerto for Orchestra Luciano Berio: Solo for trombone and orchestra Hans Abrahamsen: Vers le Silence for orchestra Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra Jörgen van Rijen (trombone)
Oct 2024
Opéra comique, Paris
George Benjamin: Picture a day like this Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France Beate Mordal (soprano) Anna Prohaska (soprano) Marianne Crebessa (mezzo) John Brancy (baritone) Cameron Shahbazi (counter-tenor)
May 2025
Santa Cecilia Hall, Rome
George Benjamin: Written on Skin Santa Cecilia Orchestra Liv Redpath (soprano) Mark Stone (baritone) Raffaele Pe (counter-tenor) Judith Thielsen (mezzo-soprano) Leonardo Cortellazzi (tenor)
Jun 2025
Boulez Saal, Berlin
Boulez Ensemble concert including works by Benjamin, Boulez and Knussen. Piano recital including new piece for piano duet. Composed by George Benjamin, performed by George and Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

News

Press

  • Ensemble Modern

    Wigmore Hall, London
    Sep 2023
    • Benjamin arranged the iridescent instrumental colours immaculately around [the soprano, Anna Prohaska].

  • Mahler Chamber Orchestra at the BBC Proms

    Royal Albert Hall, London
    Aug 2021
    • Benjamin and the orchestra set the tone of the performance with effervescently transparent textures.

    • Benjamin led the orchestra in a programme of glittering and dusky aural magic.

  • Philharmonia Orchestra

    Royal Festival Hall, London
    Mar 2020
    • Exquisitely crafted [the programme]...Janacek’s 1926 Sinfonietta closed the programme with a blaze of extra brass, the pace swift, the flavours intense, the playing tight and bright.

  • Written on Skin, Festival Présences

    Philharmonie de Paris
    Feb 2020
    • But what an orchestra! The Radio France Philharmonic seems galvanized by the presence of the composer at the baton... the conductor keeps a rhythmic and precise gesture at all times, and thus allows impeccable synchronisation between instruments, whose alloys give rise to sublime, always unexpected sounds (like this viola da gamba-harp combination in one of the Boy's tunes).