Ben Tarlton

Born in Wales, Ben studied with Sharon McKinley and Alexander Baillie before attending the Yehudi Menuhin School to study with Thomas Carroll. He completed his Bachelors and Masters at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Louise Hopkins, supported by Help Musicians UK and The Countess of Munster Trust. 

In 2016, Ben was selected as a Fellow to participate in the Piatigorsky Cello Festival in Los Angeles and in November that year performed as a soloist for The LSO’s Donatella Flick Conducting Competition Semi-Finalists with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra.

Ben recently performed in a world premiere of a cello and choir work by Christian Henking with the Basler Madrigalisten in Schwarzenburg, Switzerland. In 2020, he gave the UK Premier of Anders Hillborg’s work ‘Duo’ for Cello and Piano in a BBC Radio 3 ‘Total Immersion’ Concert in Milton Court Concert Hall, which The Guardian commented ‘playing with extraordinary precision and insight.’ Other concert highlights include Recitals at Wigmore Hall, St James’s Church Piccadilly, St Martin-in-the-Fields and Concerto performances at Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, West Road Concert Hall and Dora Stoutzker Hall.

He currently plays a William Forster cello, generously loaned to him by The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain.

Whilst a student, he was a Finalist in the Guildhall Gold Medal concerto competition, a Concordia Foundation Artist, a Park Lane Group Artist, recipient of The Suggia Gift by Help Musicians UK and The David Goldman Award from The Worshipful Company of Musicians, as well as receiving their prestigious Silver Medal Award in 2020, nominated by the Guildhall School.

Ben is Festival Director of the Llantwit Major Chamber Music Festival, a cello teacher at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, regularly performs chamber music concerts across Wales for Sinfonia Cymru and was invited to be guest Course Director for the Pro Corda 2022 Cello Course in Suffolk.