George Benjamin

About

George Benjamin is one of the most significant British composers working today, known for opera and orchestral writing that sits at the intersection of contemporary classical and avant garde traditions. His long partnership with playwright Martin Crimp has produced four operas, and it is Written on Skin, which premiered in Aix en Provence in 2012, that really cemented his reputation on a global scale. The Guardian's critics ranked it the second best work of the 21st century, which is no small thing. His orchestral piece Ringed by the Flat Horizon made history when it was performed at the Proms in 1980 while he was still a student, making him the youngest living composer to have music played there at the time. Beyond composing, Benjamin is a respected conductor who has led world premieres of works by composers like György Ligeti and Unsuk Chin. He taught composition at the Royal College of Music for sixteen years and later took the Henry Purcell Professorship at King's College London. His honours include a knighthood, the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, and a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement from the Venice Biennale.