Ben's performances of the the Pre-Goodman Rag (arranged by Guy Woolfenden) & the Shaw concerto (with the RA Big Band) are both published with the kind permission of The Specialist Recording Company.

Biography
Ben has over 20 years of professional playing experience as a clarinettist in many different styles of music ranging from orchestral and symphonic wind band to West End musical theatre, and has appeared many times as a soloist with numerous recordings to his name including a CD of Sir Malcolm Arnold's Clarinet Concerto The Pre-Goodman Rag, which has been broadcast on Classic FM.

Ben was born in Cornwall in 1971 and took up the Clarinet in his early teens. After moving to London in 1992 he studied with David Campbell, Richard Hosford, Andrew Marriner & later the Saxophone with Paul Harvey. He holds an ATCL recital diploma on Saxophone and an LTCL recital diploma with distiniction on the Clarinet.

Solo performances include the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Dartford Symphony Orchestra, Tartinis' Concertino for Clarinet with the Orchestra of the Thames Gateway, and a series of open air concerts where he performed the Artie Shaw Clarinet Concerto to an audience of over 18,000 people in conjunction with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Carl Davis.

Ben has experience of West End musicals, having been an associate deputy in the show Wicked since it opened in 2006. He is a keen chamber musician and has performed the quintets of Brahms, Mozart and Weber with the Lullingstone string quartet. He is also a founder member and principal of the Inner City Four Clarinet Quartet , with whom he has given many recitals around the country.

Orchestral Work
Shows: Wicked.

Ben's orchestral work also includes

• Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (extra)
• Royal Artillery Orchestra - Principal (1993 - 2007)
• British Concert Orchestra - Principal (2005 - present)
• Dartford Symphony Orchestra - principal & soloist (1994 - 2007)
• Orchestra of the Thames Gateway - Guest Soloist
• Bushey Symphony Orchestra - Guest Principal
• Sidcup Symphony Orchestra - Guest Principal
• Rochester Sinfonietta - Guest Principal

Shows include Wicked - Associate Deputy (West End) (Sop sax, Bb, Eb and Bass Clarinets).

Solo work includes:

• Mozart Clarinet Concerto - Dartford Symphony Orchestra
• Finzi Clarinet Concerto - (Orchard Theatre Dartford)
• Five Bagatelles for Clarinet and Strings - (Dartford Sinfonia)
• Weber Clarinet Concerto no's 1 & 2 (Royal Artillery Orchestra)
• Tartini Concertino (arr Jacob) (Orchestra of the Thames Gateway)
• Crusell Concerto in F Minor opus 5 (Royal Artillery Orchestra)
• Fantasy on La Traviata (Lovreglio)
• Malcolm Arnold Concerto no2 (Royal Artillery Band)

CD recordingsinclude:

• The Sound Barrier - The Music of Sir Malcolm Arnold (Pre-Goodman Rag from Clarinet Concerto No 2) - (SRC Records)
• Bandstand Favourites - (The Artie Shaw Clarinet Concerto)
• Music of the Spheres. The music of Philip Sparke - (Eb Clarinet)
• Calling all Workers - The Music of Eric Coates (Naxos) (Principal)
• Salute to Sullivan (Bandleader) (Principal)
• Overture (Bandleader) (Principal)
• The Music of John Phillip Sousa Vols 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6 (for Naxos)(Principal)

Recitals include:

• Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain - Inner City Four Clarinet Quartet (Principal) - Alfred Uhl Quartet
• Double Reed Society of Great Britain - Gloria Wind Ensemble - Nielsen Wind Quintet

Education

Teachers: David Campbell, Richard Hosford, Andrew Marriner, Paul Harvey (saxophone). Masterclasses: Andrew Marriner, Victoria Soames-Samek (Bass Clarinet).

Ben joined Morgensterns in November 2009

Ben's web profile was last updated 28th Aug 2010