Ben Palmer is Chief Conductor of the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck in Darmstadt, and Founder and Artistic Director of Covent Garden Sinfonia, one of London’s most dynamic and versatile chamber orchestras. He works regularly with the Hallé, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers, the Orchestra of Opera North, St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, and Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen. Other recent guest conducting engagements include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, London Mozart Players, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Heidelberger Sinfoniker, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, Sinfonietta de Lausanne, Pilsen Philharmonic and Czech National Symphony Orchestra. His recordings include an album for Sony Classical with the NDR Radiophilharmonie, Max Richter, Arvo Pärt and Pēteris Vasks with Covent Garden Sinfonia, and a live disc of film music with the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck.

He is one of Europe’s foremost specialists in conducting live to film, often appearing at the Royal Albert Hall. His repertoire includes the Star Wars trilogy, Jurassic Park, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Home Alone, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Back to the Future, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Beauty and the Beast (2017), The Pink Panther, Under the Skin, Psycho, Casablanca and Metropolis.

A trumpeter and composer by training, he studied music at the University of Birmingham, graduating with first class honours in 2003. He stayed on at Birmingham to complete an MPhil in composition, before moving to London in 2005 to study composition at the Royal Academy of Music. From 2011-16 he worked as assistant conductor to Sir Roger Norrington, and has acted as rehearsal conductor for Bernard Haitink, as well as assisting Paul McCreesh with the Gabrieli Consort & Players. In addition to his work as a conductor, he is sought after as a composer, arranger and orchestrator. He is more than three quarters of the way through his lifetime ambition to conduct all 107 Haydn symphonies.