Benjamin Baker - Soloist on Saturday 20 June 2026
Bruch Violin Concerto No 1 Op 26

Described by The New York Times as bringing “virtuosity, refinement, and youthful exuberance” to his Merkin Concert Hall debut, Benjamin has established himself as a sought-after soloist and chamber musician, performing widely across Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.

Recent highlights include regular appearances at Wigmore Hall and on BBC Radio 3, and concerto debuts with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Ryan Bancroft (Barber), Fort Worth Symphony with Dame Jane Glover (Beethoven), London Philharmonic Orchestra (Mozart), and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the East Neuk Festival. In New Zealand, he has appeared as soloist with the Auckland Philharmonia and Christchurch Symphony Orchestras.

In 2026, Benjamin gives the world premiere of Matthew Kaner’s Violin Concerto, written for him and commissioned by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Amarillo Symphony in Texas. He also makes debut appearances with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie and the Romanian Radio Chamber Orchestra, following recent debuts with the Mobile, Columbus, Summerville and Newport Symphony Orchestras in the USA.

Also in 2026, Benjamin releases the complete Mozart Violin Concertos with conductor Jonathan Bloxham and the London Mozart Players on Delphian Records. This follows two critically acclaimed albums with pianist Daniel Lebhardt, 1942 and 1919: Coda. His solo recordings also include works with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Each October, Benjamin returns home to New Zealand for At the World’s Edge (AWE), the spring chamber music festival he co-founded in 2021. Based in the South Island, AWE brings together international artists and audiences, and since 2023 has also presented events in Chicago and London to showcase New Zealand music and culture abroad.

Born in Aotearoa New Zealand, Benjamin studied with Natasha Boyarsky at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music, where he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Rose Bowl. His awards include First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Windsor International Competition, Third Prize at the Michael Hill International Violin Competition, and First Prizes at both the Young Concert Artists (YCA) in New York and the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) International Auditions in London.

Benjamin plays on a Giovanni Grancino from 1694, on generous loan from a Charitable Trust.

Benjamin Baker