Ben Rowarth is a Stipendiary Lecturer in Music and teaches ‘Stylistic Composition’ at St Hugh’s College. Ben is a composer recognised mainly for his choral music. He has received commissions and performances from leading ensembles and institutions including The Tallis Scholars, BBC Singers, The Marian Consort, I Fagiolini, Merton College Oxford, York Minster, The Tower of London, Huddersfield Choral Society and The London Festival of Contemporary Church Music. His choral works are regularly performed overseas, including by Atlanta Master Chorale (USA), The New Consort (USA), Fabercantus (Italy), Capella Dorestad (Netherlands), Divisi Singers (Australia). Ben’s choral music has featured on multiple choral recordings. His music receives regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and his experimental vocal work The Short Walk of a Madman was also used as the soundtrack to the silent film A Short Walk, directed by Sophia Carr-Gomm.
More recently his writing for film has won international recognition. He has received multiple nominations and awards for his work including Best Original Score at BAFTA qualifying CBFF (UK), WMIFF (Washington DC), and Best Documentary Soundtrack Award (Leeds International Film Festival). In the last two years he has scored for a BBC Travel Show Documentary and two films, ‘Return’ (directed by Sophia Carr Gomm) and ‘Yours is the Earth’ (directed by Finn Lusty). Recent releases also include music for the BBC ‘Music and Meditation’ Podcast. Ben is currently composing the scores for a short film by Sophia Carr Gomm (‘Little Wing’), which is due to be released in 2026 and a feature film by Alessia Mandanici (‘Wiegenlied’).
Ben balances his composition practice with a busy performing schedule as singer and conductor. He has worked extensively with some of the UK’s finest professional ensembles, including BBC Singers, I Fagiolini, Siglo De Oro, Exaudi, The Tallis Scholars and The Fieri Consort, and some of the world’s most renowned conductors, including Sir Simon Rattle and Marin Alsop. His experience as a singer gives him a unique take on workings of the voice, the practicalities of performing choral music and the creative potential of music written for singers. As a conductor, he is always delighted at the opportunity to work closely (whether conducting workshops, rehearsals or concerts) with ensembles performing his work. He is next due to direct performances of ‘A Short Walk’ with the Fieri Consort.
Teaching: ‘Stylistic Composition’
Research Interests: Musical Composition, Contemporary Music
Ben’s back catalogue is published by ‘Birdsong Music Publishing’, Faber and Harrison Parrott’s joint publishing arm:
https://www.harrisonparrott.com/birdsong/artists/ben-rowarth
