About this user
Born in 1986, Christchurch, New Zealand, Benjamin Thomas Morrison began the violin a little before his fourth Birthday. With initial tuition from his father, Ben regularly appeared in public, giving solo performances. From the age of five, he received exellent tuition from esteemed Christchurch-based teacher Stephen Larsen. At the age of ten, Ben was selected to play as a soloist on national television, and two years later at the age of 12 gave his first solo recital. In 2001 Ben had his first appearance as a soloist with orchestra playing the Bruch Violin Concerto with the Christchurch Symphony for the opening of the Aurora Centre in New Zealand.
Since his high school years Ben has participated actively in Chamber music, performing in groups ranging from Trios to Octets. In 2002 his quartet, the Morrison Quartet, won the New Zealand National Chamber Music Competition from an original 472 groups. Following this success, the quartet were asked to play at the debating chamber in parliament. He has subsequently enjoyed playing in various chamber groups, and in 2009 performed in a string quintet for the opening of the new 'Mumuth' Performance Venue in Graz, Austria. This performance was broadcast on Austrian National radio.
Ben has performed most of the concertos and sonatas from the standard violin Repertoire, and in 2004, won the prestigious National Concerto Competition playing the Sibelius Violin Concerto, accompanied by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. The same year Ben performed this concerto with the Dunedin Symphony as part of their Proms concert.
In 2006, Ben moved to Victoria University to further his studies with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's Concert-master, Vesa-Matti Leppanen, and in the same year won the Victoria University Concerto Competition playing the Brahms Violin Concerto. 2007 started with an exciting opportunity for Ben when he appeared in front of a crowd of nearly 100,000 people at the 'Starlight Symphony' Concert in Auckland, playing Saint-Saens' 'Introduction & Rondo Cappriccioso.' In the same year Ben won both the Recital and Concerto Sections of the Rotorua National Instrumental Competition.
Ben takes a keen interest in orchestral playing, and in 2006 was appointed the Concert-master of the New Zealand National Youth Orchestra, a position which he also obtained in 2008 and in 2009, when the orchestra celebrated its 50th anniversary. Ben plays regularly as a casual member of the New Zealand Symphony, and was a part of the orchestra in their 2007 tour of China.
Ben is currently studying at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria with internationally renowned Performer and Professor Yair Kless. In Graz Ben is actively involved in the music scene, giving solo performances, as well as playing in chamber groups. Ben's most recent solo performance in Graz was with the University Orchestra, Performing Mozart's 'Sinfonia Concertante'.
Ben plays on a violin based on the 'Viotti' Stradivari made
by his father, David Morrison.
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