Biography
Benjamin Theophilus Martin Kirk (b. 1992)
Conductor
The third of four boys, Benjamin was born in Beverley,
East Yorkshire, to missionary parents. He moved frequently,
living in Portugal, Brazil, and the United States. Aged 8, he
left his family in Brazil to become first chorister, and later
Head Chorister at Ripon Cathedral - and then music scholar
at Christ's Hospital School.
Benjamin studied Piano, Voice, and Composition at the Junior
Department of the Royal College of Music, and after completing
his A levels in 2011 Benjamin moved to Tallinn, Estonia,
to begin studying Choral Conducting under Tõnu Kaljuste.
Benjamin is now Musical Director with the Leeds Guild of Singers,
and the Lea Singers in Harpenden. After leaving Bath Camerata as
MD in July 2024, Benjamin was appointed Conductor with
The Purcell Singers, and is also Musical Director with The Clerkes
of All Saints, York, and the Orlando Singers, Cambridge. In October
2024, Benjamin was appointed Musical Director with Sine Nomine
International Touring Choir.
Further afield, Benjamin has been Guest Conductor with the National
Forum of Music (NFM) Choir in Wrocław, Poland, since 2021.
Benjamin's career as a choral conductor began with the Tartu
University Female Choir in south Estonia, in 2016. He was selected
as a TENSO young conductor in March, 2017, and served as Chief
Conductor and Artistic Director of Tallinn Chamber Choir between
2017 - 2019, touring with them in Slovakia in December 2017.
After moving back to the UK in 2019, Benjamin won 3rd Prize in the
World Choral Conducting Competition in Hong Kong, in July 2019.
In May 2021, Benjamin directed his first programme as Guest Conductor with the
NFM Choir in Poland, and was delighted to be invited to return and feature as
Guest Conductor from the choir's 2022 season. In November 2022 Benjamin
prepared the NFM chorus for performances of Szymanowski's Stabat Mater, and
Roxanna Panufnik's Faithful Journey: Mass for Poland, directed by Jacek Kaspszyk.
Other engagements include conducting The Carice Singers, the Estonian National
Male Choir, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Swedish Radio Choir,
and in November 2019, le Choeur de Radio France.
Benjamin studied for his MA in Choral Conducting at the
Royal Academy of Music (2015), before returning to Estonia to earn
his MA in Orchestral Conducting by conducting the Estonian National
Symphony Orchestra, graduating with honours in June 2018.
As a choir trainer, Benjamin has prepared numerous choruses for
Tõnu Kaljuste, Kristjan Järvi, Kaspars Putninš, Risto Joost, Stephen Layton,
George Vass, Martina Batič, and Jacek Kaspszyk.
Benjamin has conducted in masterclasses with the Berlin Sinfonietta, the
Slovenian Philharmonic Choir, the Berlin Radio Choir, Yale Schola Cantorum,
and the BBC Singers.
Outside of conducting Benjamin enjoys 'Jazz the Two of Us', James Clavell, Aldous Huxley, Hermann Hesse, João Gilberto, and playing chess.
Conductor
The third of four boys, Benjamin was born in Beverley,
East Yorkshire, to missionary parents. He moved frequently,
living in Portugal, Brazil, and the United States. Aged 8, he
left his family in Brazil to become first chorister, and later
Head Chorister at Ripon Cathedral - and then music scholar
at Christ's Hospital School.
Benjamin studied Piano, Voice, and Composition at the Junior
Department of the Royal College of Music, and after completing
his A levels in 2011 Benjamin moved to Tallinn, Estonia,
to begin studying Choral Conducting under Tõnu Kaljuste.
Benjamin is now Musical Director with the Leeds Guild of Singers,
and the Lea Singers in Harpenden. After leaving Bath Camerata as
MD in July 2024, Benjamin was appointed Conductor with
The Purcell Singers, and is also Musical Director with The Clerkes
of All Saints, York, and the Orlando Singers, Cambridge. In October
2024, Benjamin was appointed Musical Director with Sine Nomine
International Touring Choir.
Further afield, Benjamin has been Guest Conductor with the National
Forum of Music (NFM) Choir in Wrocław, Poland, since 2021.
Benjamin's career as a choral conductor began with the Tartu
University Female Choir in south Estonia, in 2016. He was selected
as a TENSO young conductor in March, 2017, and served as Chief
Conductor and Artistic Director of Tallinn Chamber Choir between
2017 - 2019, touring with them in Slovakia in December 2017.
After moving back to the UK in 2019, Benjamin won 3rd Prize in the
World Choral Conducting Competition in Hong Kong, in July 2019.
In May 2021, Benjamin directed his first programme as Guest Conductor with the
NFM Choir in Poland, and was delighted to be invited to return and feature as
Guest Conductor from the choir's 2022 season. In November 2022 Benjamin
prepared the NFM chorus for performances of Szymanowski's Stabat Mater, and
Roxanna Panufnik's Faithful Journey: Mass for Poland, directed by Jacek Kaspszyk.
Other engagements include conducting The Carice Singers, the Estonian National
Male Choir, the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Swedish Radio Choir,
and in November 2019, le Choeur de Radio France.
Benjamin studied for his MA in Choral Conducting at the
Royal Academy of Music (2015), before returning to Estonia to earn
his MA in Orchestral Conducting by conducting the Estonian National
Symphony Orchestra, graduating with honours in June 2018.
As a choir trainer, Benjamin has prepared numerous choruses for
Tõnu Kaljuste, Kristjan Järvi, Kaspars Putninš, Risto Joost, Stephen Layton,
George Vass, Martina Batič, and Jacek Kaspszyk.
Benjamin has conducted in masterclasses with the Berlin Sinfonietta, the
Slovenian Philharmonic Choir, the Berlin Radio Choir, Yale Schola Cantorum,
and the BBC Singers.
Outside of conducting Benjamin enjoys 'Jazz the Two of Us', James Clavell, Aldous Huxley, Hermann Hesse, João Gilberto, and playing chess.