Royal Conservatory of Music Alumnus Appointed New Concertmaster of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Royal Conservatory of Music Alumnus Appointed New Concertmaster of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Published on July 3, 2017
Mr. Bowman joins the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra to serve alongside David Chan who has held the position of concertmaster chair since 2000
The Royal Conservatory congratulates violinist Benjamin Bowman, an alumnus of The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School.
“On behalf of The Royal Conservatory, I congratulate Benjamin for being chosen for this leadership role with one of the world’s great orchestras,” says Peter Simon, Michael and Sonja Koerner President & CEO of The Royal Conservatory of Music. “He is a source of inspiration for RCM students and faculty alike and a shining example of how RCM alumni are increasingly making their mark on the world stage.”
Benjamin Bowman studied violin at the RCM as a student of the Young Artists Performance Academy, later renamed in 2013 The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists. He was a student of The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program and subsequently attended The Glenn Gould School, where he studied with the late violinist Lorand Fenyves. A member of the ARC (Artists of The Royal Conservatory) Ensemble, Bowman performs regularly with ARC and was recently nominated for a 2017 Grammy for their latest recording.
“From the moment I heard Ben play, it was clear to me that even in the world of very gifted players, the emotional intensity of his playing put him on a different level,” recalled James Anagnoson, Dean of The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School. “While it comes as no surprise to me that Ben has won this prestigious post, I am nevertheless very happy to see his talent recognized in this way. I am confident he will be a wonderful leader for this exceptional orchestra.”
Mr. Bowman is currently the concertmaster of the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, a post he has held since 2014. This past weekend, The New York Times raved that he “played with a riveting and nuanced dramatic texture that deserved as much attention as the performances onstage.”
Before ABT Orchestra, he was associate concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and concertmaster of the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra. Mr. Bowman joins the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra to serve alongside David Chan during the 2017/18 season.
The Glenn Gould School is supported by funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canada Arts Training Fund, and from the Ontario Arts Council.