George Benjamin

George Benjamin first came to public attention in 1980 when he became the youngest composer ever to have a piece performed at the BBC Proms. He has since become one of the world's most prominent composers, and his works for orchestras have achieved a remarkable performance record, becoming repertoire for ensembles throughout the world.

His career as a conductor is no less distinguished and recent highlights include a series of concerts in Berlin with Deutsches Symphonie Orchester, a 'Carta Blanca' residency with the Orquesta Nacional de Espana in Madrid, and engagements with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Modern. Last season almost all of his major works were featured at the Festival Musica in Strasbourg, amongst them the European premiere of his latest orchestral work, Dance Figures.

In the coming seasons he will work, amongst others, with the Berlin Philharmonic, Concertgebouworkest, Montreal Symphony and London Sinfonietta. He also returns to Paris to conduct the Orchestre de l'Opera Bastille; the latter forms part of a project devoted to his music planned by the 2006 Festival d'Automne and the Opera National de Paris.

Photo: Betty Freeman