Ben Palmer is one of the world’s foremost film-with-orchestra and film music conductors, in demand in concert halls and recording studios across the globe. Acclaimed by Hans Zimmer as “a masterclass in conducting”, and personally authorised by John Williams to conduct his film scores in concert, he has a repertoire of more than 70 titles, spanning the entire history of film, from silent movies of the 1920s to blockbusters of the present day. He is Chief Conductor of Babylon Orchester Berlin and the Orchestra da Camera di Pordenone, and in 2027 celebrates 20 years as Artistic Director of Covent Garden Sinfonia. From 2017-24 he was Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck, ending his tenure with three performances of Mahler’s Eighth Symphony.
In great demand as a guest conductor, this season he returns to the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Phil, London Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Philzuid, Royal Northern Sinfonia, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, and Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and makes his debuts with the Chattanooga Symphony, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Orchestre national de Lyon, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, and the WDR Funkhausorchester. Past engagements include Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, all five BBC Orchestras, 21st Century Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Luxembourg Philharmonic, the Philharmonia, Residentie Orkest, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and Zurich Chamber Orchestra.
He has collaborated with artists as diverse as Lang Lang, Anna Lapwood, Hayato Sumino, and (at the BBC Proms) singer Aurora; conducted performances for composers such as Howard Shore and Michael Giacchino; and recorded for clients including Zimmer, Bleeding Fingers Music, the London Symphony Orchestra, Studiocanal, 20th Century Fox, Sony and Decca. To celebrate the centenary of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, in 2027 he will conduct his new edition of the original Gottfried Huppertz score (made in collaboration with silent film expert Hans Brandner) with the BBC SSO, Covent Garden Sinfonia, Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, Nürnberg Symphoniker, Residentie Orkest, and Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Trained as a trumpeter and composer, he studied at the University of Birmingham and the Royal Academy of Music. He worked as rehearsal conductor for Bernard Haitink and, from 2011-16, was assistant to Sir Roger Norrington. He continues to be sought after as a composer, arranger and orchestrator, most notably for Sony Classical.
See Ben Palmer conduct Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert with the RSNO on 25 and 26 September 2026.
