Royal Forest of Dean Orchestra

Richard began learning the Bassoon at the age of 11 with Merle Calderbank through Sandwell Youth Music.  Following these studies, he gained a four year scholarship to study at the Birmingham Conservatoire in 2003.  During his time at the Conservatoire, Richard studied under Maria Mealey, Margaret Cookhorn, Meyrick Alexander and Nick Hunka whilst undertaking masterclasses with John Orford and Gareth Newman.  Richard was a three time finalist in the Sylvia Cleaver Chamber Music prize and was part of several Symphony Orchestra concerts.  Whilst gaining a 2:1 BMus(Hons) degree, Richard was also part of the CBSO Youth Orchestra, and took part in the CBSO ‘Igor Fest’ in 2006.  He continued studies at the Royal Northern College of Music the following year, gaining a PgDip in Performance in 2008, studying with Laurence Perkins and Stefano Canuti,  reaching the final of the Woodwind Prize.

Having achieved his Masters in Composition, with distinction, from the Guildhall School – with generous support from The Worshipful Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers, The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers, the Guildhall Trust and the Countess of Munster Musical Trust – Benjamin’s works have been performed widely, either by himself, as clarinettist, or others in venues and festivals across the UK and abroad including Darmstadt, Germany and Aldeburgh; Birmingham; Durham; Oxford and London’s Air Studios, Barbican, City of London Festival, LSO St. Luke’s, the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios, The Place, Southbank, and the Wigmore Hall and has recently gained places on the Britten-Pears Young Artists programme and the London Symphony Orchestra’s Panufnik Young Composer Scheme. He is co-founder of the critically acclaimed dance and music company Sounding Motion who perform extensively across the UK in theatres, studios and education projects, with generous support from the musicians’ benevolent fund.

As a member of the Bantock Quartet, Robert is currently a Junior Fellow at Birmingham Conservatoire. Initially training as a physicist, Robert was a Music Scholar at the University of Birmingham and graduated in

2010 with a first class honours degree in Physics. He continued his cello studies with Lionel Handy at Birmingham Conservatoire, graduating in 2012 with distinction on the Master’s programme.

During his studies at Birmingham Conservatoire, Robert won places on both the Birmingham Royal Ballet and C.B.S.O. training schemes, and was winner of the Sylvia Cleaver Chamber Music Prize and Derek Young Memorial Award. He was also winner of the strings category of the Symphony Hall Prize, and finalist in the Conservatoire’s Strings Prize, the Delius Prize and the Ambache Prize. In 2012, Robert was invited to perform in the final of the prestigious Muriel Taylor Scholarship competition, and is looking to forward to performing in this year’s final at the end of March 2013. Robert is continuing to study with Lionel Handy and Richard Lester.