CBE for Professor of Composition

CBE for Professor of Composition. Jun 2010, PR 138/10 George Benjamin, Henry Purcell Professor of Composition at King's College London, has received a CBE (Order of the British Empire: Commander) in the 2010 Birthday Honours for services to music. Tonight he will conduct his first opera Into the Little Hill at the Aldeburgh Festival where he is this year's featured contemporary composer. One of the outstanding composers of his generation, George Benjamin succeeded Sir Harrison Birtwistle as Henry Purcell Professor of Composition at King's in January 2001 since when he has accepted postgraduate students from the UK, Japan, France, Spain, Italy, Jordan, USA, Israel, Portugal, Germany and Australia. Professor Benjamin is this year's featured contemporary composer at the annual Aldeburgh Festival (11-27 June). Pierre-Laurent Aimard, the Festival's artistic director, says it was 'very easy to decide' to give Professor Benjamin star billing: he finds his music deeply and essentially felt, thought and conceived. Since his first orchestral piece, Ringed by the Flat Horizon , was performed at the BBC Proms in 1980 his works have continued to be performed across the world.