Ben Zander
Boston Philharmonic
Boston, MA USA
"Don't look around wondering whether you're better or worse than the next person because it's not about that-it's about what you want to do."
Career Roadmap
Ben's work combines: Music, Writing, and Being Creative
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap QuizSkills & Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
English Language and Literature, General
University College London, England
Graduate Degree
Brandeis University
Graduate Degree
Harvard University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Wrote his first compositions when he was nine years old; his mother entered them into his town's annual art festival.
2.
One of the festival judges said his compositions were so bad, he should never write music again.
3.
Undeterred, his mother sent the music to renowned composer Benjamin Britten, who invited Zander to come study with him.
4.
Studied cello; at age 12, was youngest member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
5.
After taking five years off and traveling Europe as a "vagabond," returned to university, studied literature.
6.
Came to the U.S. to do graduate work at Harvard and Brandeis Universities.
7.
Conducts the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
8.
Nominated for Grammy for "Best Orchestral Performance" in 2010.