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Current Status

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Conductor and Artistic Director: The Facade Ensemble (2012 - )

Currently Ensemble in Residence at  The Courtauld Institute of Art.

Specialising in 20th century chamber music through engaging programming. Promoted by Odradek Records and covered in the Guardian, Classic FM, Evening Standard, and Pianist Magazine, recent concert venues range from old warehouses to the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford and Cadogan Hall, London. Past projects include critically acclaimed performances of Macmillan and Stockhausen and collaborations with 2112 foundation, California.

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Conducting & Choir Tutor / Lecturer: Morley College (2016 - )

Following in the footsteps of Holst and Tippett in holding this post, responsibilities include choir training and conducting over multiple ensembles. Recent highlights include the Brahms Requiem, Bach Christmas Oratorio and the Martin Mass for Double Choir.

Conductor: Ipswich Chamber Choir  (2018 - )

Annual concert series of performances, workshops and tours. Recent highlights include the Bach B Minor Mass with the Geldart Ensemble.

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Musical Director: Moving Chamber Choir (2018 - )

Annual concert series of performances, workshops and tours - recently to Salzburg.

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Conductor/Tutor: London Youth Conservatoire (2019 - )

Saturday Morning Music Programme for children aged 4 - 18. Responsibilities include running choirs, the school orchestra, supervising chamber music sessions, and tutoring musicianship skills.

Conductor: West Kent County Youth Orchestra and String Orchestra (2019 - )

Leading the termly cycle of rehearsals, concerts, residentials, and tours. Recent repertoire includes Sibelius 2, and Brahms 1.

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Musical Director: Stowmarket Chorale  (2020 - )

Annual season of concerts. Highlights include Verdi Requiem and Handel Messiah.

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Conductor: Rose Opera (2020 - )

Productions of Der fliegende Holländer and Simon Boccanegra, as well as several Opera Gala Nights.

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Guest Conductor

 - 2021: Kensington Philharmonic

 - 2020: Rose Opera, CBSO Chorus, Birmingham University Scholars' Choir

 - 2019: Cambridge  Chorale, Aurai Quartet, Geldart Ensemble, Lydian Orchestra, Lydian Training Orchestra, The Chris Ingham Trio, Southbank Sinfonia, British Youth Opera, Rietman Singers, St John the Divine Kennington, Royal Academy Choir, Stowmarket Chorale, UBS Choir, AON Choir.

 - 2018: Berlin Sinfonietta, Halstead Choral Society, St Dominic's Haverstock Hill

 - 2017: St Stephen’s Gloucester Road, St Nicholas' Shepperton, I Dodici, The Hollywell Consort, Brighton Festival Chorus, Bury Symphony Orchestra, The Esterhazy Choir.

 - 2016: Cambridge Graduate Orchestra, RNCM String Ensemble, Ely Cathedral Choir.

Previous Experience

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Assistant Conductor with British Youth Opera (2019)

Scoring a Century by David Blake and directed by Keith Warner. Role included Chorus Mastering, repetiteur work, vocal coaching, assisting Lionel Friend, and conducting the matinee performances.

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Conductor: Our Lady Of The Rosary & St Dominic, Haverstock Hill (2018 - 2021)

A large Catholic church and Diocesan Shrine served by the Dominican Friars. It serves as a Diocesan Shrine for the Archdiocese of Westminster, welcoming pilgrims from all over the United Kingdom as well as visitors from across the globe. The choir sings a weekly Sunday Mass and for major feasts and Holy Days.

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Assistant to Johannes Wildner (2018)

 "Benedict assisted me in a CD recording period with the BBC CO, including compositions by Walter Braunfels with very complicated and complex scores and I have to say, that he was a really big help, not only for me but also for the musicians in the orchestra as well as for the producer."

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Director of Choral Music: Tonbridge Grammar School (2018 - 2020)

Responsibilities include running the school's choirs for a range of performances each term (both external and internal), as well as running 'Music Mondays' group singing sessions in year group assemblies. Performances have included concerts, services, and also being selected to perform at finals of national competitions and festivals.

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Chief Conductor: Cambridge University Graduate Orchestra (2016 - 2018)

Full season of concerts and outreach performances including world premiere commissions alongside symphonies, concertos and collaborations with choral societies, children's choirs, and a ballet company.

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Shadowing

CBSO Chorus (2018)

- Shadowing Simon Halsey on Debussy's Le Martyre de saint Sébastien.
The Royal Opera House (2016)

 - Shadowing Mark Elder through rehearsals and performances of Chabrier's L'étoile.
- Shadowing Antonio Pappano on Boris Godunov.

 - Shadowing Ingo Metzmacher on The Nose

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Vocal, Choral & General Musicianship Coach: HMDT Music (2017 - 2018)

Youth music project twice winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Education. Specialising in Musical Theatre and incorporating choral and musicianship training as well as individual coaching (vocal, instrumental, and conducting).

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Tenor Lay Clerk: Ely Cathedral (2015 - 2017)

 - Singing the regular cycle of Cathedral services. Regular tours, recordings and broadcasts.

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The King's School, Ely: Music Theory/Chorister Tutor (2014-15)

 - Classroom teaching, music theory tutoring, running several school ensembles, frequent experience as Acting Head of Music, pastoral responsibilities at choristers' boarding house, coaching junior rowing.

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Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra: Chief Conductor (2013-15)

 - Highlights inc. symphonies by Sibelius & Beethoven; concertos by Finzi & Chopin; ballet music by Tchaikovsky & Prokofiev; the 3rd UK performance of Lindberg's ‘EPXO’ and a sell out performance of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 as part of the orchestra's anniversary celebrations.

University of Cambridge (2011-15)

 - Conductor of Cambridge University Concert Orchestra (2013 - 2014)

 - Conductor of Cambridge University Wind Orchestra (2013 - 2014)

 - Cambridge University New Music Ensemble (2012 - 2015)

 - Cambridge University Opera Society (2012)

 - Pembroke College Orchestra (2011 - 2012)

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St. Peter's Church, Didcot: Organist and Choirmaster (2010-11)

 - Regular cycle of sung Eucharists and Evensongs with repertoire from the 16th to the 21st century.

Prizes/Achievements

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2021: Gains highest ever final recital mark in Conducting Masters at Birmingham University.

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Sep 2019: West End debut conducting British Youth Opera

Feb 2017: Conducting debut at Cadogan Hall

June 2015: Debut at Carnegie Hall

Feb 2014: Conducts 3rd UK performance of Lindberg's 'EXPO'

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2013: Appointed Scholar of the Queen's Conducting Programme

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2013: Awarded CUMS conducting scholarship

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2011: Awarded Instrumental Award Scholarship for chamber music (piano) from Cambridge University.

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Skills

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Pianist
Singer

Arranger/Composer

Typesetting/publishing/notation
Academic research and writing

Academic and Instrumental Tutoring

Classroom Teaching
Coxing

Languages

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Conversational in French

Basic knowledge of Spanish

Education

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Birmingham University

 - MA in Choral Conducting (2020 - 2021) studying under Simon Halsey

 - Including highest ever final performance mark for course

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Pembroke College, University of Cambridge

 - BA(Hons) in Music (2011 - 2014) including first class marks for composition and dissertation on Stockhausen.

 - MA Graduation March 2018

Conducting Courses and Master Classes

Prof. Johannes Wildner (Vienna University of Music and Arts) (2018)

Royal Northern College of Music: Short Conducting Course (2016)
- Mark Heron and Matthew Wood

- Including Competition success leading to concert with RNCM students.

Sherborne Summer School: The George Hurst Advanced Conductors' Course (2014)

Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Denise Ham, Toby Purser.

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Queens' College Conducting Programme: Conducting Scholar (2013-14)

Concerts, masterclasses and Lessons with Tim Brown, Paul Brough, Greg Beardsell & Natalia Luis-Bassa.

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Carlos Izcaray: Masterclass (2014)

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Peter Stark: Conducting Course (2013)

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Andrew Gourlay: Masterclass (2013)

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Sing for Pleasure: Advanced Conducting Course (2013)

 - Dip.ABRSM in Music Direction

 - Studies with Sarah Tenant-Flowers and Manvinder Rattan

 - Shortlisted for the course prize.

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Other Musical Experience

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2010 - present

2010 - present

• Extensive accompanying experience, ranging from choirs and repetiteur work through to instrumental and Lieder recitals

• Instrumental Award Scholarship for chamber music from the University of Cambridge (2011-2013); 
  including showcase concert at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge (2012)

• Emmanuel Trophy - 'Commended Performance' (2012)

• ABRSM diploma (2010)

• Performed at the Piano Academy in Pescara (Italy) as part of a course on the analysis of 20th century piano repertoire (2010)

• Concerto debut with Oxford Symphony Orchestra - Grieg Piano Concerto (2008)

• Founder and leader of Jazz sextet 'Sheppard's Pi' (2006 - present) - three times finalists in the Music for Youth National Jazz Finals

• Piano studies with:

  • Prof. Ian Jones (2007 - 2013)

  • Noriko Ogawa & Michael Roll, at Chetham's International Piano Summer School (2012)

  • Lilia Boyadjieva, Dorian Leljak, Aaron Shorr, Hiroaki Takenouchi and Igor Petrin, at Poros (Greece) International Piano Academy (2011)

• Tenor Lay Clerk: Ely Cathedral (2015 - 2017)

  • Singing the regular cycle of Cathedral services. Regular tours, recordings and broadcasts

• Choral exhibitioner in Chapel Choir of Sidney Sussex College Cambridge under Dr David Skinner (2013 - 2014) then Lay Clerk (2014 - 2015)

  • Concert Tours to America (inc. concert at Carnegie Hall), Holland, Italy and France, Isle of Man, Belgium, Austria

  • Recordings on Obsidian, Resonus and The Gift of Music record labels

• Voice studies with Nicholas Hurndall Smith (2014 - present)

• Solo work includes:

  • Beethoven 9th Symphony (Ely Sinfonia)

  • Bach St. John Passion (The Chapel Choir of Robinson College, Cambridge)

  • Schütz Weihnachtshistorie (John's Voices, St John's College, Cambridge)

• Music Theory and Chorister Tutor: The King's School, Ely (2014 - 2015)

  • Classroom teaching, music theory tutoring, running several school ensembles, frequent experience as Acting Head of Music, pastoral responsibilities at choristers' boarding house, coaching junior rowing.

• Extensive experience of private tutoring academic and practical music

• Music Tutor for Oxbridge Academy Courses

• Music Tutor for Titanium Tutors

• Has completed music-focussed training courses on working with children with SEND

• Experience playing in a wide range of ensembles and contexts:

  • Symphonic concerts including under Sir Roger Norrington Stephen Cleobury, and Andrew Gourlay

  • Recording for the British Film Institute (2013)

  • Show runs including 'The Rape of Lucretia', 'The Magic Flute', 'Patience', 'Temptations' (World Premiere), 'Curlew River', 'Les Misérables'

  • Concert Tours to Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Spain, Holland

  • Concerts around the UK including at Birmingham Symphony Hall, Oxford Town Hall, Sheldonian Theatre, Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall

• New edition of Stockhausen's STIMMUNG gains first class mark in Cambridge finals

• Kyrie and Gloria for Chorus and Jazz trio premiered 2010 with St. Birinus School Didcot in Didcot Cornerstone Arts Centre. Subsequently used by staff and students of Guildhall School of Music & Drama in multi-school musical education programme in London

• First Class marks in University Composition paper

• Over 100 arrangements and compositions for Jazz sextet

• Range of Anglican Choral music performed liturgically

© 2017–2021 Benedict Collins Rice
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