BEN HALSTEAD – MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Ben Halstead grew up in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester and started to learn the cornet at the age of 9 through Oldham Borough Music Service. He studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD), under Dr Robert Childs, Chris Turner and Tom Hutchinson, and gained a BMus (Hons) in 2015.
Ben has been part of the brass band scene for many years and has previously been a member of the Flowers Band and Desford Colliery Band to name a few. After completing his degree, Ben toured Australia with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band and performed at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Canada. His instrumental exploits have seen him perform in some of the world’s greatest concert halls, including; Symphony Hall, The Sage, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, St David’s Hall, The Wales Millennium and The Royal Albert Hall.
Upon completion of his studies at RWCMD, Ben decided to join the British Army as a musician. He then served as a member of both The Band of the Prince of Wales’s Division and British Army Band Tidworth before gaining a position on the highly coveted British Army Bandmaster Course where he graduated in July 2023. Ben has received conducting tuition from some of the most sought-after professors in the United Kingdom; including Mark Herron, Professor John Traill, Russell Gray and Professor Robin Browning. He has travelled extensively due to his occupation, having visited Georgia, Uganda, Pakistan, and Afghanistan amongst others. During his relatively short time as a Bandmaster, Ben has already been assigned to the Band and Bugles of the Rifles, based in Winchester where he led the unit on a variety of engagements in the UK. He now is employed within the Royal Military School of Music to assure all elements of the Army’s musical training.
Ben has achieved much success in the early years of conducting. He has been invited to conduct numerous Championship Section Brass Bands within the South of England including Brunel Brass, Filton Concert Brass, and The Woodfalls Band. He also conducted the winning performance at the Midlands Entertainment Championships in 2019. Ben was appointed as the Musical Director of Fordingbridge based “Hyde Band” as of August 2024.
Ben is currently sponsored by Fordingbridge Town Council