Experience

Guildhall School of Music & Drama

• United Kingdom
• Performing Arts
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion

  • Aug 2009 - Present

• Professor of Percussion

  • Apr 1995 - Present



richardbenjafield.com

• Freelance Percussionist

  • Aug 1988 - Present

  Richard is a founder member of Ensemble Bash, the first established percussion quartet in the UK. As well as commissioning and performing over forty new works, many now established as standard repertoire, since 1992 the quartet has toured worldwide, performed at the BBC Proms three times, and recorded for Sony Classical, Decca (Argo) and SoundCircus. Richard's career has spanned work with London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Almeida Opera and Glyndebourne Touring Opera. He is currently a member of the Colin Currie Group, and also performs with the Nash Ensemble. Richard has recorded extensively for BBC Radio and TV, and collaborated with musicians including Steve Reich, Harrison Birtwistle, Thomas Adès, Melinda Maxwell and Graham Fitkin. As a conductor Richard has directed BBC Total Immersion concerts in the Barbican and in Milton Court, including the percussion music of John Cage, Xenakis’s Persephassa, and Glassworks by Philip Glass in January 2017. Richard studied at the RNCM (with Ian Wright, Heather Corbett and Graham Johns) University of Ghana (with Afadina Atsikpa and Bernard Woma) and at Tanglewood Music Centre. ​ Show less