Yannick Nézet-Séguin Appoints Benjamin Bowman as new Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Benjamin Bowman has been appointed to one of the two concertmaster positions at The Metropolitan Opera by incoming Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, it was announced today. After a one-year contract this season, the 38 year old American-Canadian violinist officially begins his duties next fall with the start of the 2018/19 season. Bowman joins David Chan, who has been Met Orchestra Concertmaster since the 2000/01 season.  Unlike most American symphony orchestras with one concertmaster, the Met has two concertmaster positions because of the heavier performance schedule of seven operas a week.

“I’m very happy about Ben’s appointment,” said Nézet-Séguin. “He has proven himself to be an accomplished and inspiring leader and has won the admiration and respect of his fellow orchestra members as well as mine.”

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Bowman was the concertmaster of the American Ballet Theatre orchestra from 2014 - 2017. His engagements have included performances with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall, ARC (Artists of the Royal Conservatory), Art Of Time Ensemble, and the Leondari Ensemble. His performances have been recorded for radio broadcast in the United States, Canada, the UK, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Korea.

Bowman has recorded solo and chamber music with the Sony Masterworks/RCA Red Seal, ATMA Classique, and Innova labels. His latest disc with the ARC Ensemble ‘Chamber Works of Jerzy Fitelberg’ was nominated for a Grammy in 2017.

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Lee Abrahamian / Tim McKeough
Metropolitan Opera
(212) 870-7457
labrahamian@metopera.org / tmckeough@metopera.org