About
Roger Benedict’s career as a conductor has been informed and enriched by more than two decades as a principal player in some of the world’s leading orchestras, by his extensive work as a soloist and chamber musician, and through his deep involvement in orchestral training and development.
From 1991 Principal viola in the Philharmonia Orchestra, London, and following that the same position in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, since 2002 Roger has been Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Fellowship Program (a full time Orchestra Academy) and has been responsible for building it into one of the world’s leading professional training programs for musicians. From January 2019 he will be taking up an exciting new role as Chief Conductor of the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra.
A frequent guest conductor with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Roger has conducted the orchestra in subscription concerts at the Sydney Opera House, at City Recital Hall and in regional centres, as well as for special events. He regularly conducts the Sydney Symphony Fellowship Orchestra, including concerts at the Sydney Opera House and on tour. He also appears as a conductor with other orchestras in the region including the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and in the UK with the Southbank Sinfonia and National Youth Orchestra. In 2018 he will conduct the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in four separate subscription programs in their Sydney Opera House and City Recital Hall series. He will also return to the Australian Youth Orchestra as conductor, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to emerging artists. A devoted orchestral trainer, he has coached the European Union Youth Orchestra since 2000.
In his work with the Sydney Symphony Fellows Roger has gained admiration for his adventurous and imaginative programming and also for his dedication to outreach and community activity – for example through presenting concerts and workshops in schools, prisons and corporate settings. Equally passionate about using music to raise awareness and support for charitable causes, Roger conceived and conducted the highly successful Concert for Life at Sydney Town Hall in September 2015, raising nearly $40,000 for suicide prevention. Further fundraising events are being planned for 2019 and beyond.
Roger has held teaching appointments at the Royal Northern College of Music (UK) and the Sydney Conservatorium, and given masterclasses worldwide.
Roger continues to perform as a viola player. As a viola soloist he has appeared with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Ulster Orchestra in the UK as well as the Sydney Symphony, Canberra Symphony, New Zealand Symphony and the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa (Japan). With the Sydney Symphony alone he has performed as a soloist over twenty times.
Roger Benedict’s recital CD Volupté (with pianist Timothy Young) of rare works by Charles Koechlin and Joseph Jongen, released by Melba Recordings in 2010, was greeted with considerable critical acclaim and selected as one of the ten best recordings of 2010 by www.theclassicalreview.com. His recording of Vaughan Williams’ Flos Campi with the Sydney Symphony was released by the same label in 2011, and a disc of music by Hans Gál and Ernst Krenek (Voices in the Wilderness) in 2014. His latest recording, A Winter’s Tale, featuring music by Schubert and Schumann with pianist Simon Tedeschi, was released in early 2018 on the ABC Classics label.