Roger Benedict

Roger Benedict’s career as a conductor has been informed and enriched by more than two decades as a principal player in some of the world’s leading orchestras, by his extensive work as a soloist and chamber musician, and through his deep involvement in orchestral training and development. Over the last fifteen years Roger has earned a reputation as a musician's musician, a conductor of deep musical convictions and a highly engaging performer and communicator.

From 1991–2000 Roger was principal viola in the Philharmonia Orchestra, London, and following that held the same position in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

From 2002–2021 Roger was Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Fellowship Program and was responsible for building it into one of the world’s leading professional training programs for musicians. He now holds the positions of Chief Conductor of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Artistic Director of Orchestra for Life.

A regular guest conductor with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Roger has conducted the orchestra in subscription concerts at the Sydney Opera House and on tour. He enjoys regular collaborations with other Australian Orchestras (including the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra), and UK orchestras (including Sinfonia Smith Square, National Youth Orchestra). 

Roger has gained admiration for his adventurous and imaginative programming, and also for his dedication to outreach and community activity – for example through presenting concerts and workshops in schools, prisons and corporate settings. Equally passionate about using music to raise awareness and support for charitable causes, Roger has conceived and conducted several highly successful fundraising concerts with the ensemble he founded, Orchestra for Life. These include the Concert for Life series that since 2015 has raised significant sums for suicide prevention and Indigenous mental health charities.

Roger has held teaching appointments at the Royal Northern College of Music (UK) and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (where he is currently an AssociateProfessor) and he gives masterclasses throughout Europe and Asia.

Roger has enjoyed considerable success as a solo viola player. As a viola soloist he has appeared with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the New London Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra in the UK as well as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa (Japan). With the Sydney Symphony Orchestra alone he has performed as a soloist over twenty times.

Roger Benedict’s recital CD Volupté was selected as one of the ten best recordings of 2010 The Classical Review. His recording of Vaughan Williams’s Flos Campi with the Sydney Symphony was released by the same label in 2011, and a disc of music by Hans Gál and Ernst Krenek (Voices in the Wilderness) in 2014. Two albums for ABC Classics/Universal followed – A Winter’s Tale, featuring music by Schubert and Schumann, and the ARIA Award-nominated Debussy–Ravel, both recorded with long-time collaborator, pianist Simon Tedeschi.