Artistic Director @cgsinfonia / Chief Conductor @babylon_orch & Orchestra da Camera di Pordenone / Composer / Represented @IMGArtistsUK
London
- Tweets 15,441
- Following 157
- Followers 4,116
- Likes 37,009
Pinned Tweet
Still processing a truly extraordinary day yesterday, my debut performances at @bbcproms. Hugest thanks to the astonishing @BBCSSO, to @HansZimmer @IainFarrington @AURORAmusic @Nina_Bennet @ChrisGPackham & @MeganMcCubbin, and everyone who came. My heart is pretty full right now.
18
19
182
One of my favourite moments of @ClassicFM Live last night was when a mobile phone rang in the middle of Rhapsody in Blue. Instantly our incredible soloist Hayato Sumino (@880hz) copied it, incorporating it seamlessly into his improvisation 🤯
16
160
1,081
160,596
Fun fact of the day: instead of counting out the famous 11/4 bar in Rite of Spring, most conductors think or say “Igor Stravinsky is a son of a bitch”.
3
48
241
An 84th birthday surprise for Roger Norrington from the musicians of the SWR Symphoniorchester, yesterday evening in rehearsal at @cadoganhall. @BBCRadio3 @Baerenreiter (Full video at fb.com/conductorben)
8
100
258
🚲 🌝 👽 I’ve had the most glorious day rehearsing with the mighty @the_halle for tomorrow’s live orchestra screening of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in Concert. Join us at 7pm at @BridgewaterHall - it’s going to be emotional!
🎟 halle.co.uk/whats-on/et-the-…
11
26
168
A truly extraordinary experience to conduct my @RSNO friends at @ClassicFM Live last night at the @RoyalAlbertHall. Incredible contributions from soloists @880hz, Rachel Duckett & Freddie de Tommaso, plus the wonderful @RSNOChorus. (📸 © Classic FM / Matt Crossick)
2
27
171
9,474
So, I didn’t get to meet JW as planned last night - he sent his regrets to the green room, saying he was too tired to come down - but he did do this for me; something I’ll treasure for ever ❤️ Amazing to see him live for the first time, with @BerlinPhil on astonishing form.
7
8
144
Just in case you thought Return of the Jedi couldn’t be any more awesome than it already is...
5
29
130
🌍 So excited to be making my @bbcproms debut on 27 Aug, conducting the Earth Prom with @BBCSSO & presenter @ChrisGPackham. Music by @HansZimmer, @GFentonMusic, @jacobsheamusic & more. Live on @BBCRadio3, broadcast on @BBCTwo on 29 Aug.
bbc.co.uk/events/ezdfbp
12
22
134
None of @Lornaatwork’s 279 tweets (mostly RTs) mentions @BBCSO, @BBCPhilharmonic, @BBCNOW or @bbcproms. She doesn’t follow them, either. Couple of mentions of @BBCRadio3, one of @BBCCO (neither of which she follows). And none of @BBCSingers, though she did follow them. Recently.
9
56
132
47,715
Um, so, Felix just picked this up, took it to his chair and started reading it... 😳🤷🏻♂️😍 @Baerenreiter
12
12
143
Feeling quite emotional after working so hard on this over last few days. Huge thanks to the incredible @GrimethorpeBand, our amazing sound supervisor @therowellster, & everyone at @RoyalAlbertHall. Now over to @Film4! #brassedofflive #royalalberthome
7
31
135
My (very-nearly-three) Felix conducting an orchestra for the first time: a read through the start of Haydn 59 with @HaydnProject ❤️ He’ll be nicking my gigs soon.
3
11
127
The greatest film soundtrack ending of all time… Be there tonight, 7pm at @BridgewaterHall with @the_halle!
🎟 halle.co.uk/whats-on/et-the-…
5
22
109
I love the challenge of conducting live to picture, but I don’t think I’ve ever done a piece that allowed so much freedom and expression as @HansZimmer/@IainFarrington’s Earth Symphony. Here is a favourite (albeit quite fiendish) moment, played beautifully by @BBCSSO. @bbcproms
2
17
96
So sad to hear that one of my musical heroes, the great Bernard Haitink, has died aged 92. An incredible musician, an astonishing conductor, and one of the most generous, kind people I’ve ever met.
2
11
103
If you haven’t yet bought a ticket for tomorrow’s screening of Jurassic Park with @the_halle @AOArena, then do it now. One of the best film scores of all time, played by one of the world’s great orchestras - it’s unmissable. Here’s a little blast from the very end of today’s reh.
8
25
106
15,771
Still my favourite John Williams cue of all. All in all, a pretty awesome day at work. @dphilmerck
2
21
105
16,966
So sad that our #BrassedOffLive next Wed at @RoyalAlbertHall was cancelled, but really touched @Film4 are showing the film. (And can confirm the “something special“ will be worth waiting for - though, for now, @GrimethorpeBand and I are sworn to secrecy...)
🎺 We're showing Brassed Off next Wednesday at 9pm and are planning something special for the occasion! Stay tuned...🎺
3
30
94
Great Scott! Super-excited to be conducting a UK tour of my favourite film, @BacktotheFuture, with the Czech National Symphony Orch. On sale Fri 🚙⚡️
Apr 2019
13 @southbankcentre
16 @THSHBirmingham
17 @RoyalNottingham
18 @BridgewaterHall
19 @liverpoolphil
21 @Sage_Gateshead
5
27
89
I’ve been finding lots of amazing, weird and wonderful things in Gerald Barry’s choral music whilst preparing for next Wednesday’s @BBCSingers at Six concert, but I wasn’t expecting to find this 😳
bbc.co.uk/events/eq4mzc
7
9
87
First day at home with my little Felix, and I am SMITTEN. From this pose he’s clearly going to be a conductor or a horn player ❤️
20
7
81
And the award for the best performance direction in the history of choral music goes to @CherylHoad. @BBCSingers
8
13
82
Today I had the privilege of standing in front of my wonderful @dphilmerck again, exactly 6 months since my last concert, with @BBCSingers. It was overwhelming emotionally, exhausting physically, but glorious in every way. Here’s a little iPhone clip from our first read-through.
5
8
84
I’m tremendously excited to share the news that I’ve been appointed Chefdirigent of @babylon_orch, with immediate effect. (1/3)
@IMGArtistsUK @BABYLON_Berlin
10
10
82
Flying home to London, and the border guard at Berlin Brandenburg let me use the EU Bürger lane (because, obviously, less of a queue). Genuinely felt rather emotional to walk under the 🇪🇺 again. What a shameful f*cking disaster this whole Brexit nightmare is.
6
71
Glad you enjoyed the show @andreajenkyns, & trust you didn’t find a story about an immigrant being welcomed to the UK too uncomfortable.
Clifford's first visit to the theatre to see Paddington/Snowman @RoyalAlbertHall. He is mesmerised and loving eating the popcorn too.
2
17
74
Getting started on one of my all-time favourite film scores. #jurassicparkinconcert #jurassicpark25
2
12
73
This lot make me very happy.
📸1: A-S miniature scores, A-M full scores.
📸2: S-Z miniature scores, A-Z vocal scores, M-Z full scores.
📸3: Currently on-the-go, film-with-orchestra & film music scores.
5
6
76
Hi @HTBChurch, I’m about to rehearse an 83-piece @cinesinfonia in Onslow Square for two sold-out shows at @RoyalAlbertHall tomorrow, and apparently the £2,291.84 the orchestra has paid to hire the venue doesn’t allow for the lights to be turned on… Is this really reasonable?
11
10
73
10 years ago today I conducted my first film. It’s inconceivable to me that, several hundred performances later with a repertoire of more than 50 films, I now spend about half my time conducting live to picture. (1/2)
(📸 @suzyredred / © 1990 Twentieth Century Fox)
3
1
76
4,715
One of the few joys of lockdown has been setting up my new office & getting to spend countless hours at my beautiful desk. I’ve got everything I need at my fingertips & it’s proving to be an inspiring space in which to work. Just need to work out how to hang 10 🎺 on the wall...
9
3
75
Exciting news: I’m really thrilled to be joining the @IMGArtistsUK @IMGArtistsDE family! imgartists.com/news/img-arti…
6
11
69
Scores! So excited to be stepping in to conduct @BBCSingers next week, for a delicious programme of @LennyBernstein, @amybryce, @VeljoTormisCntr & Brahms, to be broadcast on @BBCRadio3 on 5 Nov. 🙋🏻♂️if you’d like to hear the arranger’s name read out on air.
4
8
71
I’ve conducted the @starwars Main Title many times, but to do it as the logo rushes across a huge screen is a REAL thrill. Huge thanks to the Plzeňská filharmonie for a heroic #starwarsinconcert at the @SAP_Arena last night! @AlegriaKonzert
2
14
71
Thrilled to be appointed Chefdirigent of the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck from 17/18, starting on 10 Sep with Mahler 4 with @SampsonCarolyn.
14
16
74
After years of cancellations & postponements, I finally got to conduct my dream silent film, @ChaplinOfficial’s Modern Times, with my incredible @babylon_orch. It’s fiendishly hard to conduct, & requires astonishing virtuosity from the musicians. I can’t wait to do it again.
3
14
69
I’m so happy to be returning to the mighty @the_halle to conduct my favourite soundtrack live to picture, John Williams’ heartbreaking E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Join us on Sat 22 Oct at @BridgewaterHall.
🎟 halle.co.uk/whats-on/et-the-…
4
13
68
They’ll only look this neat for about a day, but after spending all evening tidying my scores I had to take a photo. They’re arranged alphabetically by a mixture of genre, size, composer & publisher. The empty space bottom left is for next season’s yet-to-arrive film scores.
6
9
67
✈️ BER-LCY. What a sunrise. Home after a gorgeous Metropolis with my amazing @babylon_orch. Now to Maida Vale for a recording with @BBCSingers.
3
1
69
10,057
Had the best day rehearsing possibly my favourite (?!) Star Wars score, The Force Awakens, with the mighty Pilsen Philharmonic. Looking forward to the first performance in Stuttgart on Sun, the first of several this year. Great to have @george_conducts assisting. @AlegriaKonzert
1
6
70
6,641
By some miracle I‘m safely in Germany, and tomorrow I get to make music with my orchestra. There are no words... 💔❤️😍 @dphilmerck
2
2
67
🎻🔥 The last few moments of today’s @sinfoniettariga rehearsal, with @KristineBalanas playing Mendelssohn’s D minor Concerto. Join us on Sat, together with @MBalanas and @rbalanas, for music by Pärt, Monn/Schoenberg, Vivaldi, Hans Rott & Sarasate, streamed live from @VKCesis.
5
26
62
One of my favourite projects last year was this concert with the @RCMLondon Philharmonic. Join us in a week’s time for music by Alfred Newman, Korngold, Herrmann, Steiner, Elmer Bernstein, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith & @SilvestriMusic!
🎟 rcm.ac.uk/events/details/?id…
2
13
63
For the first time in a long while, I felt able to do some proper score study. So, I thought I’d start at the beginning, with an old friend I’m hoping to meet in September. @Baerenreiter @dphilmerck
3
7
65
I had a great time conducting three performances of Jurassic Park in Concert at @RoyalAlbertHall with the CNSO in Sep. Can't wait to be back at the RAH in Dec for screenings of The Snowman with @rpoonline & Home Alone with @cinesinfonia. (Images © Andy Paradise)
6
13
62
It’s been more than two years, but I’m finally preparing again for a large-scale film with orchestra: Return of the Jedi with my friends Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, in Berlin and Hamburg next month. @TheLegacyofJW
3
5
55
So yesterday I took my four-week-old baby boy with me to work, and we both wore our geekiest dinosaur outfits. Such a thrill to conduct #jurassicparkinconcert at the @RoyalAlbertHall - can’t wait for our final show this afternoon.
4
6
56
Last wk I decided my #lockdownproject should be to teach myself @doricoofficial. As a lifelong Sib user, I thought it might be tough, but 2 days in & I‘m getting much faster & can get it to do EVERYTHING I want it to. It is utterly, utterly brilliant. Thank you, @SteinbergMedia.
7
5
55
It’s not every day a brand new symphony lands on my desk. Especially not one that is also a film soundtrack. I don’t know how he did it, but HUGEST thanks to @IainFarrington for this astonishing piece. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it! Sat 27 Aug with @BBCSSO at @bbcproms.
3
13
59
Last concert of the season: Brassed Off Live with @GrimethorpeBand, @Opera_North & @craig_ogden at @millsqleeds on Sun 29 July. 🎺🍊 m.operanorth.co.uk/productio…
1
18
57
Lovely to have a quick chat today with the legendary @HansZimmer about Earth Symphony, devised & arranged by @IainFarrington from Hans’s music for Planet Earth 2, Blue Planet 2 & Seven Worlds One Planet. Hear it live at @bbcproms with the mighty @BBCSSO on Sat 27 Aug.
2
10
58
So happy that Brassed Off Live at the @RoyalAlbertHall with @GrimethorpeBand & @rpoonline has been rescheduled for Wed 25 May 2022. Here’s a clip of @flugelblower’s Orange Juice from 2018 at @millsqleeds with @Opera_North. @4barsrest @markwherman
🎟 royalalberthall.com/tickets/…
4
11
58
Many snappy returns, Jaws! Happy memories of conducting the UK tour of #jawsinconcert in Apr 2018 with @CNSO_official 🦈 #jaws45 @thedailyjaws @TheLegacyofJW @IMGArtistsUK @FilmConLive
1
11
57
So looking forward to @ClassicFM Live, tomorrow at @RoyalAlbertHall with the brilliant @RSNO and a terrific line-up of soloists and presenters, plus the @RSNOChorus and Sir Karl Jenkins. royalalberthall.com/tickets/…
2
14
58
6,713
Mini John Williams was a bit lonely, so I made him a mini Haydn and a mini Charlie Chaplin to hang out with. @TheLegacyofJW @HaydnSocGB @ChaplinOfficial
2
7
55
I had the best time conducting @ChaplinOfficial The Kid last night at @BABYLON_Berlin with my brilliant @babylon_orch friends. (And I only nearly cried twice in the film!)
1
7
54
An earth-shattering Rite from @Chethams Symphony Orchestra last night at @BridgewaterHall to end a truly spectacular concert. Thank you to the players, chorus, our star violinist Jordan Brooks, and to @redmond_tom & and all the staff, for an utterly brilliant, inspiring week.
5
10
59
Very sad to hear that David Daniels has died. He wrote the conductor’s programming bible, Daniels’ Orchestral Music, a book that I, and I’m sure many of my colleagues, use almost every day.
7
19
51
Just two weeks to go until I’m back with @the_halle for Beethoven 6, The Wasps, my new orchestration of Lili Boulanger, and @KristineBalanas playing Vivaldi & RVW. Join us on Sat 19 Feb at @BridgewaterHall. halle.co.uk/whats-on/spring-…
4
5
49
Always a joy to work on my favourite film score, and I can’t WAIT to hear @the_halle playing a John Williams soundtrack live to picture for the first time. Join us on Sat at @BridgewaterHall.
🎟 halle.co.uk/whats-on/et-the-…
4
6
48
My last concert of the decade was, without doubt, also one of my absolute favourites. Hugest thanks to the awesome @the_halle and everyone at @IMGArtistsUK and @FilmConLive for an incredible #skyfallinconcert at a packed out @BridgewaterHall.
1
9
46
For the last few years, I’ve used only these two types of baton, a Guivier Model C (with the tip cut off) & Mollard carbon fibre S Series, swapping between them once or twice a year when I feel like a change. It’s a very personal thing, but the wand chooses the wizard, after all.
9
6
51
In my concert last night the lutenist (who’d been playing continuo in some Handel arias and a Galuppi cantata) asked if he could join in for the Radetzky March, and it was utterly, utterly awesome in every way.
1
2
48
Difficult to put into words quite how much I enjoyed conducting #etinconcert yesterday. The @RoyalAlbertHall really is the greatest arena in the world for film with orchestra. Hugest, hugest thanks to the mighty @BBCCO for two fantastic shows. (📸 @appleandbiscuit)
5
8
51
FRA-LHR. An indescribable feeling to be on my way to work after almost six months. I can’t wait to be reunited with my dear @dphilmerck friends, and to make music with them.
1
2
45
Glorious day with @the_halle and @KristineBalanas rehearsing Beethoven, RVW, Vivaldi & Lili Boulanger for tomorrow’s concert at @BridgewaterHall. bridgewater-hall.co.uk/whats…
3
8
49
Preparing to conduct @SilvestriMusic‘s incredible soundtrack to my favourite film of all time, @BacktotheFuture. Catch it next month:
13 @southbankcentre
16 @THSHBirmingham
17 @RoyalNottingham
18 @BridgewaterHall
19 @liverpoolphil
21 @Sage_Gateshead
22 Aberdeen
25 @AnvilArts
3
16
53
For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of having a huge desk where I can spread out A3 scores, laptop, iPad. Ordered several weeks ago, pre-coronavirus, this was finally delivered this morning. Bring on lockdown.
7
4
48
It was such a pleasure to conduct @HansZimmer, @jacobsheamusic, Sara Barone & @bastilledan @bastille’s score for Planet Earth III with @BBCNOW, beautifully recorded by Jeremy Murphy at @theCentre. Huge thanks to the Bleeding Fingers team for getting me involved ❤️🌍
6
46
4,406
Brilliant to meet the mighty @BBCSSO this afternoon and begin rehearsing for Saturday’s #earthprom performances at the @bbcproms.
11
48
It’s no exaggeration to say that making my debut at @Concertgebouw was a dream come true. Hugest thanks to the heroic @Noordpoolorkest & everyone at Cinema in Concert for two sold out shows, with two richly deserved standing ovations. And, yes, doing The Stairs is just awesome…
3
3
44
6,155
Very happy to share the news that (all being well...) I'll be making my debut with the wonderful @liverpoolphil in Dec, for four performances of @TheSnowmanHQ, with @alasdairmalloy, & the Liverpool Philharmonic Children's Choirs. liverpoolphil.com/whats-on/a…
3
5
42
Amazing atmosphere at sold out @millsqleeds for #brassedofflive with the astonishing @GrimethorpeBand & Orch of @Opera_North. Huge thanks to everyone on stage & behind the scenes - this was a really special one for me. @Philmb75 @WeatherstoneSam @RoyalAlbertHall #ONintheCity
17
47
A tremendous evening with my @BBCSSO friends last night performing @CarlDavisMusic’s incredible (though terrifyingly difficult) score for @TheHaroldLloyd Safety Last. Always fun to hear the audience shrieking with laughter!
5
14
49
9,083
Sad to read Ennio Morricone has died, aged 91. What an incredible career. corriere.it/spettacoli/20_lu…
3
10
48
By some twist of fate, I’ve had a #BrassedOffLive shortly after both sons were born - B’ham 2018, 5 days after Felix, & @RoyalAlbertHall this Wed, 12 after Otto. Some things remain constant: the kindness, generosity & outstanding musicianship of my dear @GrimethorpeBand friends.
2
2
44
A gorgeous first day recording @estherabrami’s new album for @sony_classical with the City of Prague Philharmonic and some fantastic colleagues at @smeckystudios.
1
4
46
3,922
I’m feeling pretty much like this 1st photo, after 3 wonderful days making music w/ @liverpoolphil & @alasdairmalloy. So grateful to everyone at RLPO for making it possible for us to perform 4 safely distanced concerts, at a time when most of our colleagues aren’t working at all.
1
7
45
After the incredible news that Christmas concerts with @liverpoolphil and @alasdairmalloy can go ahead, I can finally allow myself to dive into the most beautiful sight: my Snowman score, and a pile of new pieces to prepare ⛄️🎅🏼❤️ liverpoolphil.com/whats-on/f…
3
3
34
My 2023/24 season begins next week, and I’m looking forward to an action-packed autumn including debuts with @TheCBSO and @philharmonia. For full details, please visit my website, benpalmer.net. @IMGArtistsUK
4
6
46
6,094
Delighted and proud to announce I've been elected an Associate of the @RoyalAcadMusic!
3
4
42
Tune in to @BBCRadio3 this afternoon for @BBCSingers singing Britten Hymn to St Cecilia & @Karakelcomposer’s stunning Seascapes, with @annalapwood playing the Four Sea Interludes ON THE ORGAN.
Kudos to @morwennadelmar for one of the best autocorrects ever. (CC @PetrocTrelawny)
1
7
36
The boy’s been obsessed with my 🎧 for months - grabbing & trying to eat them, mostly - so to calm him down before bed, I finally showed him what they do. He lay absolutely still in wonder & silence - a really heavenly moment. Playlist @grimethorpeband Danny Boy & @fhvln Spring I
2
7
39