Benjamin Zander started to compose music at the age of nine.

Several of his compositions came to the attention of composer Benjamin Britten, who invited the Zander family to spend three summers in Aldeburgh, England the beautiful seaside village in Suffolk where he lived.

Benjamin Zander took lessons with Benjamin Britten and became a student of theory of Britten’s amanuensis and assistant, Imogen Holst, daughter of composer Gustav Holst.

Benjamin Zander & Benjamin Britten

Benjamin’s main instrument was the cello. He began studying at the age of ten and became the youngest member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain at the age of twelve. He went as a boarder to Uppingham, one of England’s leading public schools, as a music scholar at the age of thirteen and then to St. Paul’s School in London so he could continue his cello studies with Herbert Withers.

At the age of fifteen Benjamin became a student of the great Spanish cello virtuoso Gaspar Cassad ó and moved to Florence and Sienna, Italy for the next three years. He completed his cello studies at the State Conservatoire in Cologne, Germany where he also served as an assistant to Cassadó.

After living abroad for five years Benjamin returned to England and completed his A levels and entered University College, London University for a degree program in English literature, winning the University-wide English Literature Essay Prize.

During his period of study at University he performed regularly as a professional cellist giving recitals and chamber music concerts with the King-Zander-Arieli Trio and teaching at the Yhudi Menuhin School for gifted children.

In 1965 he won a Harkness International Fellowship and traveled to the United States for Graduate work at Brandeis University, Harvand and with Leonard Shure and Ernst Oster in New York.

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