Benjamin Mellefont

Australian Hometown: Sydney
Education: Royal College of Music, London

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
Benjamin Mellefont was born in Sydney, Australia. He was appointed Principal Clarinet of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019, having previously held the same position with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and has performed with both orchestras as a soloist. He regularly appears as Guest Principal with many of the orchestras in the UK and Australia, and at festivals such as Salzburg, Edinburgh and Aldeburgh.

A keen proponent of contemporary music, Benjamin has been a core and founding member of Explore Ensemble since 2012, with whom he has been involved in numerous premieres and commissions, including play/ directing the UK premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Figura for Solo Clarinet and Ensemble. He has also appeared with other chamber groups such as Ensemble 360 and London Sinfonietta.

Benjamin graduated in 2015 from the Royal College of Music with First Class Honours as the Tegner Scholar, having studied with Barnaby Robson, Richard Hosford, Timothy Lines and Michael Collins. Whilst there he won the Clarinet Prize and Concerto Competition. Since 2019 he has been a Professor of Clarinet at the Royal Academy of Music, and also gives masterclasses and coaches at the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School.

When not playing clarinet, he enjoys producing electronic music, cooking and moonlighting as a barista. 

Last updated 2022