The American-Canadian violinist will share his role with current Met Orchestra concertmaster David Chan for an initial one-year term

benjamin bowman

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra has named Benjamin Bowman as its new concertmaster for an initial one-year term during the 2017-18 season. The American-Canadian violinist will share his role with current Met Orchestra concertmaster David Chan.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Bowman has been concertmaster of the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra since 2014 and performs regularly with Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Prior to this he served as associate concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and concertmaster of the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra.

In July last year the Metropolitan Opera named former Time for Three violinist Nikki Choi as its new concertmaster for an initial one-year term. Bowman now replaces Choi in this role.

Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin is to become Metropolitan Opera music director designate from the 2017-18 season, and music director in the 2020-21 season. He replaces James Levine, who stepped down at the end of the 2016-17 season.

Photo: Bo Huang