Ben Gaunt
Yorkshire-based sonic artist, composer, performer, and educator
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S O N I C A R T I S T
In 2023, Ben was given support and funding from Help Musicians to begin learning how to make electroacoustic music. Since then, combining foley, sonic art, and field recording practices, he has written a number of pieces, some of which you can hear on his SoundCloud page below.
Additionally, Ben has synthesised this practice with improvisation and notated composition. His piece Grave Pastures (for instrument and fixed electronics) was recently performed by multi-Grammy award-winning cellist Nick Photinos at the Jacksonville Electroacoustic Music Festival.
Ben has been accepted on to the Manchester Jazz Festival hothouse programme to further explore these new artistic endeavours.
C O M P O S E R
Ben studied for a Bachelor's and Master's in Composition at the Royal Northern College of Music with Adam Gorb and Paul Patterson. He was awarded the Edward Hecht Prize for Composition during his second year and his Master's was kindly funded by The Countess of Munster Musical Trust. Ben completed a PhD in Composition at The University of Sheffield studying with Dorothy Ker and George Nicholson, where he was awarded The Gladys Hall Scholarship. He has received additional private lessons with David Horne and Michael Finnissy, and been mentored by Harrison Birtwistle, Alwynne Pritchard, and Ian Gardiner.
Ben has written music for the London Symphony Orchestra, Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Icarus Ensemble, Ensemble 10/10, London Sinfonietta, Ligeti Quartet, and many other professional ensembles. He has developed a close professional relationship with Carla Rees and has written many pieces for her. He has also worked with other soloists, including Rolf Hind, Fenella Humphreys, Benjamin Powell, Héloïse Werner, Mandhira de Saram, Matthew Schellhorn, Karin de Fleyt, Alfia Nakipbekova, Christopher Redgate, Oren Marshall, and Sarah Nicolls. His music has been performed at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (multiple times), Sounds Like This Festival, Tate Modern, King's Place, and various other festivals and concerts in the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and the US.
Ben's music has been published by UYMP, released by NMC, broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He was nominated for a British Composer Award in 2017, and an Ivor Novello in 2021.
His early career was supported by Sound and Music on multiple occasions. Performances of Ben's works have been funded by ACE, BFI, IMR, the Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust, Sir Max Bemrose Bursary Trust, The Frances Chagrin Award, The Bliss Trust, and the PRSF on multiple occasions.
Ben's music has been described as "heartfelt" "lively" "finely etched" (Musical Opinion), "almost cartoonish" "bold, clear-headed and original" (BBC Music Magazine). "It is Ben Gaunt’s ‘More Like What It Is’ that reveals a kindred Birtwistle spirit though – elegantly sly and darkly questioning. His is an original voice that needs to be heard again." (4 Bars Rest)
Below you can listen to Fading Spellsphere for solo piano - played by Ben Powell, written as part of the Psappha Composing For Piano scheme. You can also listen to Empty Hand, Peaceful Mind for martial artist, clarinet, and viola - played by the LSO, written as part of the LSO Soundhub scheme.
P E R F O R M E R
Ben plays melodica, glockenspiel, and other instruments as both a solo improvisor and as a member of Emergence Collective (a Sheffield-based experimental post-minimalist ensemble).
Ben is also a pianist, specialising in improvisation and graphic scores. In 2017, supported by both ACE and Sound and Music, he played numerous solo concerts across the UK, performing the notated music of Jacob Thompson-Bell and graphic scores by Claudia Molitor and Shiva Feshareki. Ben's studio recording of Jacob Thompson-Bell's piano music was broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In 2020, he performed alongside Lara Jones, Damien Harron, and Rob Bentall at Sounds Like This Festival. In 2022 and 2023, he performed at the Northern Silent Film Festival, improvising accompaniment to Nosferatu, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Ben has worked with comedian Sean Morley on multiple occasions, performing synth at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Machynlleth Comedy Festival. A recent collaboration with Sean was discussed in Vice magazine. In 2024, Ben is travelling to France to study with master clown Phillipe Gaulier.
Previously, Ben played synth in the electronic jazz quartet, Beyond Albedo. As part of the Jazz North
northern line
scheme, Beyond Albedo played numerous festivals and gigs in the North of England, and they were selected to take part in the Sage Gateshead
Summer Studios residency. Their music has been broadcast on Worldwide FM.
Below you can watch the music video to
Arrival
by Beyond Albedo.
E D U C A T O R
Ben is an associate professor at Leeds Conservatoire, and also teaches at the Open College of the Arts.
At Leeds Conservatoire, Ben teaches foundation students, undergraduates, and postgraduates. He has delivered lectures, seminars, and workshops in Hong Kong, China, the USA, Austria, Switzerland, and France. He has also been invited to speak at universities in the UK.
Until 2023, he also taught composition at the Junior Conservatoire. In 2016, Ben's Junior Conservatoire composition students were invited to perform at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, funded by the Michael Tippet Musical Foundation. In 2019, the same group were selected to work with composer Carmel Smickersgill as part of the Adopt a Composer project (run by Making Music in partnership with Sound and Music). The resultant piece (in which Ben performed) was broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Ben holds a PGCE (from Manchester Metropolitan University), and worked for two years at Hampshire Music Service where he taught keyboard. Whilst working there, he was asked to perform jazz at Andrew Lloyd Webber's house (with the composer in attendance).
Ben was presented with the Leeds Conservatoire Teaching Excellence Award in 2017, and was nominated for Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year at the University of Sheffield.