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Harper Symphony Orchestra
Wind Symphony
Benjamin Firer is the newly appointed Music Director of the Harper Symphony Orchestra in Palatine, Illinois. Based in Chicago, he joined the faculty of Northeastern Illinois University as Orchestra Director in 2017 and also serves as Assistant Conductor with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and conductor of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies Philharmonic.
A dynamic and sought-after guest conductor, Benjamin has made appearances with numerous ensembles nationally and internationally including symphony orchestras of Budafok Dohnányi, Milwaukee, Altoona, Champaign-Urbana, DuPage, Miami, Fargo- Morehead, Orchestra de la Francophonie. He previously served as conducting staff with the Quad Cities Symphony, Dubuque Symphony Orchestra and the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra.
Passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians, Benjamin has held conducting positions with the nations’ leading youth orchestras including the New York Youth Symphony, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies. A committed educator, he was engaged as a teaching artist through the Yale University Music in Schools Initiative, providing instruction at the John C. Daniels Magnet School while serving as Music Director of the Yale-Saybrook College Orchestra.
Benjamin’s talents and contributions have been recognized through various accolades: Recently he was awarded “Orchestra of the Year” by the Illinois Council of Orchestras for his performances with the Quad City Symphony Youth Orchestra. Additionally, Benjamin is the Recipient of the 2024 Williamson Music Education Grant.
Benjamin was selected as an Emerging Conductor with the Peninsula Music Festival, Conducting Fellow for the Atlantic Music Festival and a scholarship recipient from the National Orchestral Institute. He has garnered awards including The American Prize in Conducting, The Woolsey Concerto Competition, Yale Chamber Music Competition, Ellen Battell Stoeckel Fellowship, and the Long Island University Conductors Award. Recognized for his musical entrepreneurship, he was granted the SUNY Thayer Fellowship in the Arts and the Emma Peters Hooper Endowed Award. As an orchestral musician he has recorded for the Naxos and Albany labels. Benjamin received his Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from Northwestern University and a Master’s Degree from Yale Universit
