Biography
“Ben is a natural virtuoso and his playing is both exciting and inspired”- Yonty Solomon
Ben Andrew is a composer, pianist, graphic designer and app creator. He studied at Trinity College of Music, London, under renowned British concert pianist and pupil of Heinrich Neuhaus, John Bingham and at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest where he studied under Jenõ Jandó. Ben has also worked with eminent teachers Martino Tirimo, Yonty Solomon and Philip Fowke. During his time at Trinity, he was awarded the prestigious TCM trust Silver Medal for outstanding performance and contribution to the Keyboard Faculty.
He has vast experience working as both a composer and performer. From writing and orchestrating pop songs to performing concerti by composers such as Beethoven and Rachmaninov, Ben’s vast experience in the industry working across all genres gives him a unique edge with his composition.
Ben has collaborated with Hollywood film composer Harry Gregson-Williams on several musical projects. The most recent being 'Scored By Harry Gregson-Williams' with Universal Production Music. - a series of albums focused on a range of themes and moods; from blockbuster orchestrations to dark pulsing underscore.
Ben recently released an album of solo piano music with APM. He is also an experienced session pianist and he recently collaborated with British composer Tom Howe (The Great British Bake off, Ted Lasso) on the BBC's The Mating Game, narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Listen to examples here, here and here.
Ben is a Sequential Artist and he recently composed two original pieces of music which showcase the iconic Prophet 10 synthesizer following its hotly anticipated relaunch.
Ben is also an author for Hal Leonard and he has written a number of publications published worldwide.
He has given numerous performances both in the UK, Eastern Europe and East Asia at venues including St Martin in the Fields in London, The Pump Room in Bath and Óbudai Társaskör, Budapest and the City Hall in Hong Kong. Ben also has an extensive concerto repertoire and notable performances include Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Rachmaninov’s 2nd and 3rd Piano Concertos – the latter of which is a work revered by all pianists for its technical and physical demands. He recently gave a performance of Beethoven’s 4th piano concerto with the Alina orchestra. Ben is passionate about music education and he is Head of Keyboard at Stowe school, Buckingham, where he works as part of a dynamic and outstanding team of music educators.
Ben is a creative improviser and pop musician and has supported notable artists such as Tom Walker, Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake), Roger Hodgson (Supertramp), Rick Wakeman (Yes), Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet). Ben’s recent co-write of ‘Not In My Name’, a rock song featuring guitar legend Bernie Marsden received airtime on BBC radio and LBC radio featured a live interview with Ben following its release.
His arrangement of ‘Hatikvah’ (published by Hal Leonard) is currently featured on the ABRSM grade 8 violin and Trinity grade 7 syllabus.
Ben is also the artistic creator of ScaleTracks - his own iOS app featuring backing tracks for scales and arpeggios. Designed to make scales and arpeggios a more enjoyable, musical experience, ScaleTracks features over 1000 backing tracks in many different genres from Dubstep to Baroque. The app has received highly positive reviews in BBC Music Magazine, The Strad and Music Teacher Magazine, among others.