Metropolitan Opera Announces New Concertmaster

By David Salazar

Benjamin Bowman will be the new concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera’s orchestra. He will join current concertmaster David Chan as one of the two leaders of the group.

Bowman will kick off a one-year tenure for the 2017-18 season.

The American-born violinist who holds a Canadian citizenship has served as concertmaster with the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra since 2014. He was also concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra.

Mr. Bowman is a regular guest of Toronto’s ARC Ensemble and Amici Chamber Ensemble and will host CBC Radio 2’s “This Is My Music” on June 17.

His performances have been recorded for radio broadcast in Canada with the CBC, as well as in the USA, the UK, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Korea. He has also made recordings for the RCA Red Seal, ATMA Classique, and Innova labels.

He steps in for 28-year-old Niki Chooi, who joined the orchestra in July 2016 and also had a one-year contract. It is notable that Bowman and incoming music director designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin are both Canadian. Nézet-Séguin will take over as music director in 2020-21.

 

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