Festival Soloists: Benjamin Butterfield

Tenor Soloist – Toronto, Canada

Regarded as a master of Bach literature, Ben has carved out a distinguished and respected career in the field of early music.  His early association with Tafelmusik and Opera Atelier led to European tours of Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, France and Spain as well as the United States.  He has been associated with American Bach Soloists in San Francisco as well as with Nicholas McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Trevor Pinnock with the English Concert in London, and with Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre in Paris.  Ben’s life interest in the Passions of J.S. Bach has led to an ongoing association with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem and performances with the Washington Bach Consort, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the New Jersey Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival, Vancouver Bach Choir, Les Violons du Roi under Bernard Labadie, the National Arts Center Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire and with the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan.  In other repertoire, Ben has worked with noted conductors Charles Dutoit, Leonard Slatkin, James Conlon as well as with Seiji Ozawa, Sir Andrew Davis, Frederic Chaslin, Jukka Pekka Saraste, Bramwell Tovey, Richard Bradshaw, Carlo Rizzi, Gabrielle Ferro, Andreas Delfs and Hans Graf. Of his many recordings, the Britten Serenade and The Canticles have been recognized by the Juno Awards.  . Film, television and radio credits include appearances on NPR, PBS, CBC, and Radio France.  He is presently Head of Voice at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. 

On a personal note, Benjamin is excited to return to Carmel for his fifth year and continues to enjoy watching his daughters grow up by the sea each summer with such great friends surrounded by such wonderful music.