Ben Palmer is Artistic Director of Covent Garden Sinfonia and Chief Conductor of the Orchestra da Camera di Pordenone and Babylon Orchester Berlin. From 2017-24 he was Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck, ending his tenure with three performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.
He is a regular visitor to the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Arctic Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Hallé, London Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and to the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (including at the BBC Proms), and BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Debuts this season include the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Oakland Symphony, Odense Symphony Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony; he will also conduct the BBC SSO in Seoul at BBC Proms Korea. As a guest conductor he has worked with Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Singers, City of Prague Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra (Dublin), NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Philharmonia, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Zurich Chamber Orchestra.
Personally authorised by John Williams to conduct his film scores in concert, and acclaimed as “a masterclass in conducting” by Hans Zimmer, Ben Palmer is one of the world’s most sought-after specialists in conducting live to picture. With a repertoire of more than 50 films, ranging from fiendishly difficult silent movies such as Metropolis and Modern Times, to Star Wars and Top Gun: Maverick, he appears regularly at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, KKL Luzern and Concertgebouw Amsterdam. He is regularly invited to conduct recording sessions for leading film and television productions, with clients including Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers Music, 20th Century Fox, Studiocanal, and the LSO.
A composer and trumpeter by training, he studied at the University of Birmingham and the Royal Academy of Music, which elected him an Associate in 2017. He twice worked as rehearsal conductor for Bernard Haitink, and from 2011-16 was assistant conductor to Sir Roger Norrington. He continues to be in great demand as a composer, arranger and orchestrator, most notably for Sony Classical, for whom he also regularly conducts.
See Ben Palmer conduct Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert with the RSNO on 25 and 26 September 2026.
