Biography
Benjamin Shepherd began playing the piano aged 14. Within a year, Benjamin was offered a place at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, in its junior department, studying with Penny Davies where he won the ‘Beattie’ prize for piano.
Benjamin went on to study on the Bachelor of Music Degree (Honours) Programme at Trinity College of Music, London, with Alexander Ardakov. After two successful auditions, Benjamin was selected to study his third year abroad, on the Erasmus Programme, at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, with Professor Marián Lapšanský. Whilst abroad, he set up links with the Slovak Composer, Juraj Hatrík and has promoted his music in the UK. After returning to the UK and completing his Bachelor Degree with Philip Fowke (Senior Fellow), Benjamin then progressed as a Scholarship Student to the Master of Music Programme where he is now in his third and final year of study. Benjamin aims to further his exemplary, cross-disciplinary, psychological research work involving musicians and gymnasts as his PhD thesis.
Since being at Trinity College of Music, Benjamin has maintained his elected position as the Student Keyboard Representative and remains in this position until today. He also works for Student Services; mentoring, note taking and accompanying disabled students and also works as a Faculty Support Officer.
Benjamin enjoys regular performances, and has performed throughout the UK and abroad. Recitals have included engagements at Cheltenham Pump Rooms and for various Music Societies. He has performed at various charity concerts and worked with numerous musicians with notable acclaim. As well as solo piano music, Benjamin also enjoys performing a wide range of chamber and vocal music. He has a specialist interest in Czech and Slovak music, and will perform a sonata called ‘contemplation on life’ by the Czech composer, Klement Slavicky as part of his Masters Programme Final Recital as a UK premiere performance at the end of this academic year.
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Benjamin is a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, the UK's professional body for musicians. |