Benjamin Zander

Benjamin Zander started his early musical training in his native England with cello and composition lessons under the guidance of his father. When he was nine, Benjamin Britten, England's leading composer, took an interest in his development and invited the family to spend three summers in Aldeburgh in Suffolk where he lived. This led to a long association with Britten and lessons in theory and composition from Britten’s close associate Imogen Holst, daughter of Gustav Holst.

In 1967, Zander joined the faculty of the New England Conservatory, where he taught the interpretation class, conducted the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and regularly conducted the conservatory orchestras. Twenty years ago, he became the artistic director of the joint program between NEC and Walnut Hill, a boarding high school for the performing arts in Natick, Massachusetts. During his tenure as conductor of the New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic, he took the orchestra on over a dozen international tours and made five commercial recordings and several PBS documentaries. In 1979, he became the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

Contact a Speaker Booking Agent to inquire about Benjamin Zander speaker booking, speaking fee details, and availability.