Biography
Born and raised in Oxford, Benedict began his musical training at a young age. Benedict's introduction to orchestral music began at the age of seven when he took up the french horn. He received lessons through the Oxfordshire County Music Service, progressing through their orchestras, including the County Youth Orchestra, and discovering his love for orchestral repertoire. He studied horn under Julian Faultless and Sue Cooke in Oxford, and went on to play with many semi-professional and amateur instrumental ensembles in the city.
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His other prominent instrumental performance experience was as a member of the Air Cadet Organisation National Music Service, and through this he found his love for conducting as the founder-conductor of the National Brass Ensemble. From then, Benedict regularly conducted, and played in, the National Concert Band, alongside performing with the National Marching Band in events around England.
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He is a graduate from the University of Birmingham, having read music, where he sought every opportunity to perform. Specialising in conducting, countertenor, and orchestration, Benedict developed his musicianship, leading to appointments as the conductor of many student ensembles at the university. His love for orchestrating came from his interest in symphonic repertoire, much of which he has studied to a high level whilst at Birmingham. This was further developed by his orchestral experiences, including two European tours and dozens of concerts in both symphonic and chamber settings.
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Benedict began his love for singing in St. Margaret's church choir, Oxford, where he was a chorister until he went to Birmingham. He studied with Richard Vendome, who encouraged him to maintain his countertenor register as his voice changed, allowing him to study countertenor further at a higher level.
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At the University of Birmingham, Benedict found many opportunities to perform in choirs and as a soloist, supported by tuition from Mark Chambers. Among the many opportunities he received, Benedict is particularly fond of the concerts he did with the University Voices, which led to concerts at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, and the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms.
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As a keen orchestrator and arranger, Benedict focussed much of his time at university to the study of orchestration, submitting his final dissertation as an orchestration of Vaughan Williams's Four Poems by Fredegond Shove. He is currently working on an orchestration of Rachmaninov's Ten Preludes, Op.23 for symphonic orchestra.