Ben de Souza

Ben de Souza is one of a growing number of British classical accordionists at the forefront of promoting the instrument in this country.

Ben is a regular recitalist and chamber musician and has performed extensively throughout England. He has collaborated with West Forest Chamber Ensemble, The Assembly Project and Bloomsbury Festival, while in 2018 he made his orchestral debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra, under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy. Ben has also workshopped new music for the accordion with composition students at the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity Laban and the University of Cambridge. The accordion takes Ben across the UK and has allowed him to perform in venues such as St David’s Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Stoller Hall, Hampton Court Palace and South Hill Park Arts Centre. He is also leader of the Cumberland Ceilidh Band, and plays with a number of other ceilidh bands across England.

Having previously studied with Romano Viazzani, Ben completed his undergraduate studies with Owen Murray at the Royal Academy of Music. He has also received tuition from many of the world’s leading accordionists including Friedrich Lips, Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, Bjarke Mogensen, Mie Miki, Iñaki Alberdi and Matti Rantanen among others. Ben has trained as an accordion repairer and tuner with Beltrami Accordions, Italy, and has returned to the Academy on occasion to give tuning masterclasses to the accordion students.

Ben is also passionate about educating the next generation of British accordionists and has a busy private teaching practice encompassing students of all ages and abilities. He currently holds accordion teaching posts at Salisbury Cathedral School and the Purcell School.

Following his time at the Academy, Ben completed a Masters in Choral Studies at the University of Cambridge, studying conducting with Stephen Layton and Graham Ross, while holding places in King’s Voices and Magdalene College Chapel Choir. Alongside his accordion work, he is a freelance choral conductor, working with a range of choirs. He is the founding conductor of Clare Hall Choir, Musical Director of Farnham & Bourne Choral Society and Newbury Chamber Choir, and also works with choirs at the John Lewis Partnership, Finchley Children’s Music Group and Taplow Choirs.

Photo by Benny Vernon