violist / composer

Benedict Taylor is an award winning violist and composer based in London. He studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and Goldsmiths College, and is a leading figure within the area of contemporary string performance and composition, at the forefront of the British and European new and improvised music scene. 

 He performs as a soloist and chamber musician in the world's leading venues and festivals including; Aldeburgh Festival, Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di Montepulciano, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Fete de la Musique Berlin, Manchester International Festival, Cheltenham Festival, BBC Radio 3, Resonance FM and Radio Libertaire/Epsilonia (Paris). He features on 10 solo and chamber albums of newly composed and improvised music, and has worked closely with artists including Evan Parker, Terry Day, Veryan Weston, Steve Beresford, Alex Ward, Mark Sanders, Tom Jackson, Neil Luck, Jonathan Cole, Elo Masing and Stephen Crowe. As an ensemble performer, Benedict works regularly with a number of new music ensembles and orchestras including; London Improvisers Orchestra, clapTON Ensemble, London Contemporary Orchestra, London Sinfonietta Collective, Berlin Improvisers Orchestra, Tokyo Improvisers Orchestra, Kammer Klang Players, Squib-Box, Arco, Electro-Acoustic Review – Dublin,  Regular Music, Orquestra Do Norte and Orquestra Do Algarve, Portugal. 

 Alongside a busy performing and recording schedule, he works extensively as a composer within the area of contemporary dance, theatre, film and individual commissions for organisations including The Royal Court Theatre London, Typewriters Collective and Rambert Dance Company, with film scores often being heard at major festivals including Berlinale, Venice, Toronto, BFI London Film Festival and London Film Critics Circle, receiving ongoing critical acclaim.