Benjamin Nicholas

Music Director of the Oxford Bach Choir since 2018, Benjamin Nicholas has conducted the choir in concerts with the Philharmonia, CBSO, London Mozart Players and Florilegium. He conducted a performance of Handel’s Athalia to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Sheldonian Theatre, and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio to mark the choir’s 125th anniversary. Other recent concerts have included Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony and Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. At the 2019 Three Choirs Festival he conducted Merton College Choir and the Bristol Ensemble in James MacMillan’s Seven Last Words to mark the composer’s 60th birthday.

Benjamin Nicholas is Director of Music at Merton College, Oxford. During his time at Merton the Dobson organ has been installed, the annual Passiontide at Merton festival has been established, and Girl Choristers have been introduced. He was elected a Bodley Fellow of Merton in 2018.

Benjamin Nicholas won the Choral Award at the 2020 BBC Music Magazine Awards for his recording of Gabriel Jackson’s The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ with the Choir of Merton College, Oxford. He has been involved in commissioning choral works from composers including Birtwistle, Dove, Jackson, MacMillan, Rutter and Weir. He conducted a Charlotte Bray premiere in Southwark Cathedral and the first performance of Howard Goodall’s Veni Sancte Spiritus in Westminster Abbey.

As an organist, Benjamin has appeared in concert with the Tallis Scholars, and has most recently given recitals in St Paul’s Cathedral, Bath Abbey and Munich Dom. His debut solo disc was awarded five stars in Choir & Organ, and his recording of Elgar’s organ works was Editor’s Choice in Organists’ Review.