British cellist Benjamin Hughes will join the faculty from autumn 2025

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Photo: Jack Liebeck

Cellist Benjamin Hughes 

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The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) has announced the appointment of cellist Benjamin Hughes as its new associate professor of cello, starting this autumn.

Hughes has served as principal cellist of the BBC Concert Orchestra for over 18 years, a role where he regularly appears as a soloist and collaborator in broadcasts spotlighting a wide range of works.

As an educator, Hughes has taught at London’s Royal Academy of Music since 2016, and received the award of Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in the previous year. He is currently a faculty member at Brevard Music Center.

Hughes has performed as guest principal with many UK ensembles and toured internationally. As a chamber musician, he was a member of the Fibonacci Sequence and the London Mozart Trio, appearing in venues in London and Townsville, Australia.

He has recorded chamber works for the Deux-Elles and Dutton/Epoch labels, and appeared at the 2023 and 2025 Busan Chamber Music Festival in South Korea and the Parker Concert Hall International Series at Brevard Music Center.

Hughes studied with Michal Kaznowski, Alexander Baillie and Steven Doane at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Hochschule für Künste Bremen, Eastman School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. In 2005 he was made an honorary member of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

In addition to performing and teaching, Hughes has also made two instruments: an award-winning natural acoustic cello with an unusual body shape, plus a semi-acoustic electric version which has featured in the BBC Radio 3 programme Electronica and a performance of Planet Earth II Live at the Royal Albert Hall alongside Jessica Cottis and Hans Zimmer.

CCM’s music dean Pete Jutras commented on the appointment: ’Benjamin Hughes is a dynamic performer and teacher, bringing a wealth of experience from his distinguished work with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

’We are excited to have him joining our prestigious Strings Department.’

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