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This article was published 28/6/2018 (819 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Benjamin Bowman has wrapped up a successful first season at his ultimate dream job: concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

The former Brandonite described an "exhilarating" 2017-18 season.

MATT DINE PHOTO Former Brandonite Benjamin Bowman is the concertmaster at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He is pictured with his wife Elizabeth, daughter Adelaide and son Byron.

"The quality of artistry day in, day out is truly remarkable. The stamina required to complete a season of opera is staggering, but it promotes a great collegial environment," he said. "I can feel growth as an artist, and I already feel like I’m part of a family."

What began as an initial one-year contract has turned into a permanent position, awarded earlier this year by maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Bowman said it is a great feeling to walk through the doors of the prestigious venue every day and "stand on the podium in the great hall to tune the orchestra."

The Metropolitan Opera was founded in 1883, and is the largest classical music organization in North America. It presents approximately 27 operas each year in a season that runs from September through May.

"Musically, it is surprisingly easy in the sense that all of the players are of the highest calibre, and so they all know what to do," he said. "It makes my job as leader much less complicated. That was what struck me on my first day — the feeling of being inside a very well-oiled machine ... There is also a great sense of responsibility involved in this job — we are all ultimately only custodians of this great institution, and we must preserve the qualities that make it great for future generations."

Benjamin was born in Illinois, and grew up in Brandon from the age of two to 14. The family moved to the Wheat City when his father, Wayne Bowman, got a job as music professor at Brandon University. His mother Ann Bowman was also a BU professor.

Benjamin remembers being surrounded by music during his childhood — his father played jazz trombone and led the university jazz band.

"My mother used to listen to a lot of opera when I was young, so that must’ve planted a seed," he said.

BENJAMIN BOWMAN/TWITTER Former Brandonites and childhood friends James Ehnes, left, and Benjamin Bowman had the chance to perform together at Carnegie Hall recently. Ehnes was a guest soloist at one of the final concerts of the Met Opera's season.

Benjamin’s two older sisters both played violin from a young age, so he said picking up a violin at the age of three seemed like the natural thing to do.

"From then on, there wasn’t much of a question as to whether I would pursue a career in music. It just kind of happened," he said. "I was definitely lucky to have the support I had — it takes a village to raise a violinist. And a lot of patience and resources. But I was fortunate that in my family these things were a given. The rest was up to my personal ambition and dedication to the craft."

Benjamin worked with Frances Chaplin while in Brandon, which his father says was a "tremendous opportunity … at a very formative stage of his life."

Chaplin studied at the Juilliard School, and later become concertmaster of the CBC Halifax Orchestra and the Halifax (Atlantic) Symphony Orchestra. He began teaching at Brandon University in the late 1960s.

"Brandon’s relatively small size and the access that we had to the superb pedagog in Francis Chaplin was just tremendously important in Ben’s development. As a family we could not have done it any place else," Wayne said.

Tragically, Chaplin died from smoke inhalation following a house fire in 1993.

Around that same time, Wayne took a sabbatical leave and moved the family to New York City, where Benjamin studied at the Julliard pre-college. The following two years, Wayne did a visiting professorship at the University of Toronto, where Benjamin finished high school.

Benjamin went on to study at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where he received his bachelor of music degree. He has since gone on to have a successful music career, as a chamber musician, recitalist and soloist, performing to critical acclaim throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

In 2017, he was nominated for a Grammy award for his recording with the Artists of the Royal Conservatory Ensemble, "Chamber Works of Jerzy Fitelberg". He was featured on the 2013Juno-winning album"Levant" with the Amici Chamber Ensemble.

Benjamin has worked as concertmaster at the National Ballet Orchestra in Toronto, as well as the American Ballet Theatre and associate concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra.

"We’re extremely proud of Ben. (The Met) is a major achievement and one of the best orchestras in the world," Wayne said. "He’s been very fortunate. I say fortunate yes, but he worked very hard for many years."

When asked to reflect on his career highlights, Benjamin said it was a tough question to answer, as his career is linear and cumulative.

"Sure, winning first prize and the Brandon fair fiddling contest when I was nine was a moment I’ll never forget, as was my audition for the Met Opera. But people are the highlights," he said, referring to his time with Chaplin in Brandon, David Zafer in Toronto and the late Richard Bradshaw, "who shared his visceral love for opera."

He also expressed gratitude for his parents, Wayne and Ann, as well as his wife, Elizabeth, and children Byron and Adelaide.

Day-to-day life is busy, he said, between the two children, the pressure of leading one of the best orchestras in the world and learning new repertoire. The couple is also renovating their newly acquired 1916 home.

"There’s a new relentlessness to life. It’s a great problem to have though — I’m enjoying every second of it!"

The final three concerts of the season are hosted annually by Carnegie Hall. Benjamin said this presented the opportunity to explore repertoire that is somewhat foreign to them.

Especially exciting this year, was a special guest soloist appearance by violinist James Ehnes — another former Brandonite.

"James and I grew up in Brandon together, and had the same teacher for some years, so this concert gave us a rare chance to catch up and to play together."

Benjamin said he is dedicating the summer to preparing as much as possible for next season and to spending quality time with his family.

"Next season will have many musical highlights, including Wagner’s ‘Ring’ and Debussy’s ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’, just to name a couple. It will be exciting to begin working with our new and now official music director, Yannick Nézét-Séguin. I’m also excited to continue to develop my relationship with the orchestra and this wonderful company."

» jaustin@brandonsun.com

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