BENJAMIN NORTHEY
Since returning to Australia from Europe in 2006 Benjamin Northey has rapidly emerged as one of the nation’s leading musical figures. After blazing a unique trail as a highly successful Australian-based conductor, Northey was appointed Associate Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2011. His breadth of experience as a professional musician has enabled him to traverse the widest rage of musical styles from mainstage orchestral programs, new music, opera, ballet, ground breaking cross-genre collaborations through to education and community outreach projects.
A graduate of Finland’s prestigious Sibelius Academy, Northey has appeared internationally with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, The Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, The Hong Kong Philharmonic, The New Zealand & Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Southbank Sinfonia of London. He has collaborated with acclaimed artists including Julian Rachlin, Alban Gerhardt, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Arnaldo Cohen, the Silver-Garburg Piano Duo, KD Lang, Kurt Elling, Tim Minchin, Slava Grigoryan and Emma Matthews.
However it is in his home country of Australia where Northey has made his mark through his many critically acclaimed appearances as a guest conductor with all the Australian state symphony orchestras as well as opera productions including L'elisir d'amore, The Tales of Hoffmann and La sonnambula for State Opera of South Australia and Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte for Opera Australia.
Recordings include award-winning CD releases for ABC Classics with the Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmanian, Adelaide and West Australian Symphony Orchestras.
In 2009, Northey was selected as one of three participants worldwide to the prestigious International Conductor's Academy of the Allianz Cultural Foundation during which he conducted the Philharmonia and the London Philharmonic Orchestras and was mentored by conductors Vladimir Jurovsky and Christoph von Dohnányi. His teachers have been John Hopkins, Jorma Panula, Atso Almila & Leif Segerstam.
Northey is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2010 Melbourne Prize Outstanding Musician Award, the Brian Stacey Memorial Award, the Nelly Apt Scholarship and the 2007 Limelight Magazine Best Newcomer Award. In 2001, he was awarded First Prize in the Symphony Australia Young Conductor of the Year Competition. From 2002-6, Northey was Resident Guest Conductor of the Australia Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and, from 2007-10, Principal Guest Conductor of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. He currently lives in Melbourne with his wife (the accomplished French Horn player Joanne Montesano) and their daughter Eva.
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