Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison is a multi-instrumental musician, composer and producer from Australia. He has performed and toured across five continents – most recently with Cirque du Soleil’s touring productions of Quidam, KOOZA, VOLTA and Alegria. A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Benjamin plays saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone), EWI (electronic wind instrument), clarinet, piano, keyboards, synthesizers, guitar, bass guitar and other assorted woodwind instruments. Benjamin grew up in Adelaide, Australia and began performing in musical productions from a young age, initially beginning studies on piano and violin at the age of four. During his early formative years, Benjamin received a scholarship from a special-interest music school where he received the opportunity to perform and tour nationally and internationally with several multi-award-winning ensembles—including a tour of China as an Australian cultural ambassador in 2003. During this period, Benjamin also achieved several other accolades including selection at the national Generations in Jazz competition playing saxophone in 2004, and as a pianist the following year. Benjamin graduated from the Elder Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music Performance, specializing in Jazz Saxophone. During his studies Benjamin held the 1st tenor saxophone chair in the Downbeat magazine award-winning Big Band One, and in 2008, received an award from dB Magazine for Top Undergraduate Saxophone. From 2010-2012, Benjamin toured North America with Cirque du Soleil’s arena show ‘Quidam’ playing saxophone and keyboards and in 2014, joined their big top tour of ‘KOOZA’ with which he toured Europe, North America, South America and Australia playing saxophone, keyboard, electric guitar, tin whistles, duduk and clarinet. From 2016 until late 2018, Benjamin toured North America as band director on Cirque du Soleil’s big top production of ‘VOLTA’ (with music by Anthony Gonzalez of M83) playing keyboard, synth, bass guitar and saxophone; and in 2019, worked on Cirque du Soleil’s production ‘Alegria: In A New Light’ as band director/keyboards/programmer as well as the productions of Cirque du Soleil’s shows ‘X: Land of Fantasy’ and ‘MESSI10’. Benjamin is currently based in Sydney, Australia where, in addition to his work as a session musician and producer, he runs a successful and rapidly growing YouTube music channel. Benjamin is a P. Mauriat saxophones, Légère signature reeds and Arturia synthesizers endorsed artist.

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