Ben has been an active member of the Calgary music community since a young age as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. He is currently a student of Fiona Carnie and has previously studied with Theresa and Jeff Plotnick. Ben spent his early years performing with the Mount Royal University Conservatory Orchestras and the Amici String Program, String Camp and Stringfest, which allowed him to study extensively with acclaimed musicians such as Kai Gleusteen, Catherine Ordronneau, the Viano String Quartet, the Rolston String Quartet, the New Orford String Quartet and more, alongside Amici’s regular faculty, whom he considers his second family. Currently, Ben shares the position of Concertmaster in the Calgary Youth Orchestra and on May 12, 2024, will perform Mahler’s 2nd Symphony in that capacity. In the fall of 2024, Ben will be attending the McDuffie Center for Strings in Macon, Georgia, where he will be studying with violinists Amy Schwartz-Moretti, Robert McDuffie, and David Kim.

Ben has been successful competing at the local, provincial and national level, being awarded top prizes at the 2023 Alberta Music Festival and the Canada West Festival in the 22 and under division after just turning 17 years old. Recently, Ben won top prizes in the Calgary Concerto Competition and Frank Simpson Competition, and hopes to continue growing his competition experience.

In addition to developing as a student, Ben has also worked professionally, including playing for the exciting premiere of National Geographic’s documentary, Secrets of the Whales, where he was able to experience the jaw-dropping talents of Anthony Parnther and Jann Arden. Ben has also played with local ensembles such as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kensington Sinfonia, and the Land’s End Ensemble, and is extremely grateful for the incredible opportunities his home city of Calgary has provided for him.

In the summers of 2022 and 2023, Ben was given the opportunity, with scholarship, to participate in and perform at the Quartet Fest West, in Victoria, BC, where he and his quartet, the Carnie Quartet, studied and performed with all three of the Lafayette, Bellas Artes, and Penderecki String Quartets. Ben will always remember this time in his life as a founding moment for him both as a musician and a person. In the summer of 2024, Ben will be attending the Domaine Forget de Charlevoix Academy in Québec.

For the past two years, Ben has been a member of Calgary Pro Musica’s Young Artist Development Program. Working collaboratively with both its Artistic Director, Education Advisor, and fellow YADP artists, Ben has created two school shows and presented in 7 different elementary schools. Through the program, he has also had the chance to study with internationally acclaimed musicians such as the Danish String Quartet, the Isidore String Quartet, Carmit Zori, the Parker Quartet, and more. This opportunity has helped him in diversifying his skills as a performer and musician and he will forever value Dean O’Brien’s and Sam Whelan-Kotkas’s mentorship.