Ben Foster (orchestrator)
Encyclopedia
Ben Foster is a British
composer
, orchestrator and conductor who is best known for his work as an orchestrator on the BBC
series Doctor Who
.
series Doctor Who
.
He also conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
in Doctor Who: A Celebration
, which was held at the Wales Millennium Centre
on November 19, 2006 in aid of Children in Need
. The concert was followed by the release of the first Doctor Who Soundtrack
CD which includes music from series 1 and 2 of the programme. This was released on 11 December 2006 on Silva Screen Records.
On 5 November 2007, Silva Screen Records released The Soundtrack from Series 3
. On 17 November 2008, The Soundtrack from Series 4
, followed 10 days later by the broadcast of the first Doctor Who Prom. Foster arranged the music and conducted the BBC Philharmonic
at this event, which was part of The Proms
. On the 24 and 25 July 2010, Foster again arranged and conducted Murray Gold's scores from Seasons 4+5 in the Doctor Who Proms
, an event followed by the release of The Doctor Who 2008-2010 specials soundtrack
on the 4 October.
He also acted as Musical Director and Arranger for Doctor Who Live - which toured the UK in October - November 2010, conducting his 16 piece band.
Foster also composed music for the first three series of the BBC drama Torchwood
.
His work on the show has earned him three nominations in the Best Music category at the 2006, 2007 and 2009 BAFTA Cymru Awards. Silva Screen Records released a soundtrack album composed of his work on the first and second series in September 2008 and in July 2009 released the Children Of Earth soundtrack.
Foster will conduct the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 'Doctor Who - A Symphonic Spectacular' to take place in February 2012.
Foster's work as an orchestrator and conductor for films includes 27 Dresses, The Mummy 3, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Robin Hood, Hoodwinked Too, The Grey.
In 2005 Foster re-arranged the theme tune to BBC Question Time which is currently running on BBC2.
Foster was a judge on the Blue Peter Music Makers project in 2006, a contributor to the Blue Peter Movie Makers project in 2007 and chair of the judging panel for BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008. He also contributed to the CBBC project Clash.
Ben's early work as an arranger and conductor included work for Hayley Westenra, Aled Jones, Gary Barlow, SClub7, Boyzone, Toploader and others.
Ben has worked extensively with the singer and composer Peter Gabriel since 2009, conducting his last two studio albums with the New Blood Orchestra and touring the 'New Blood' project across the world.
He works regularly with the London Session Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and has also worked with the BBC Philharmonic, RPO, BBC Concert Orchestra and the Czech Film Orchestra.
Recent work includes the themes and music for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World (2011) and BBC Young Musician (2012). He also co-wrote the music (with Murray Gold) for Scott & Bailey for ITV1.
He composed the score and arranged songs for a biopic of Dame Shirley Bassey for BBC2 which aired in September 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, orchestrator and conductor who is best known for his work as an orchestrator on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
Career
Foster studied Composition and Conducting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama graduating in 2000. He was awarded the Lutosławski composition prize. He is also a graduate of the National Film and Television School, where he studied with Francis Shaw and Peter Howell.Doctor Who and Torchwood
Since November 2005, Foster has worked as Arranger and Conductor for composer Murray Gold on the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
He also conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.The BBC NOW has its...
in Doctor Who: A Celebration
Doctor Who: A Celebration
Doctor Who: A Celebration was a concert performed for the BBC's annual Children In Need charity appeal at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on 19 November 2006. It featured suites of incidental music composed by Murray Gold from the first two series of the revived television show Doctor Who,...
, which was held at the Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
on November 19, 2006 in aid of Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
. The concert was followed by the release of the first Doctor Who Soundtrack
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack is a soundtrack album released on 4 December 2006, containing incidental music composed by Murray Gold and used in the 2005 and 2006 series of Doctor Who....
CD which includes music from series 1 and 2 of the programme. This was released on 11 December 2006 on Silva Screen Records.
On 5 November 2007, Silva Screen Records released The Soundtrack from Series 3
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 3
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 3 is a soundtrack album that was released on 5 November 2007, containing incidental music that was used throughout the third series of the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who...
. On 17 November 2008, The Soundtrack from Series 4
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 4
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 4 is a soundtrack album released on 17 November 2008, containing incidental music that was used throughout the fourth series of the BBC science fiction television programme Doctor Who...
, followed 10 days later by the broadcast of the first Doctor Who Prom. Foster arranged the music and conducted the BBC Philharmonic
BBC Philharmonic
The BBC Philharmonic is a British broadcasting symphony orchestra based at Media City UK, Salford, England. It is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The orchestra's primary concert venue is the Bridgewater Hall....
at this event, which was part of The Proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
. On the 24 and 25 July 2010, Foster again arranged and conducted Murray Gold's scores from Seasons 4+5 in the Doctor Who Proms
Doctor Who Prom (2010)
The Doctor Who Prom 2010 was a concert showcasing incidental music from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, along with classical music, performed as part of the BBC's Proms series of concerts...
, an event followed by the release of The Doctor Who 2008-2010 specials soundtrack
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 4: The Specials
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack - Series 4: The Specials is a 2-Disc release from Silva Screen Records featuring music from the 2008-2010 specials of Doctor Who. It was released on 4 October 2010 in the United Kingdom. When purchased from the iTunes store, it also includes a digital...
on the 4 October.
He also acted as Musical Director and Arranger for Doctor Who Live - which toured the UK in October - November 2010, conducting his 16 piece band.
Foster also composed music for the first three series of the BBC drama Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
.
His work on the show has earned him three nominations in the Best Music category at the 2006, 2007 and 2009 BAFTA Cymru Awards. Silva Screen Records released a soundtrack album composed of his work on the first and second series in September 2008 and in July 2009 released the Children Of Earth soundtrack.
Foster will conduct the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 'Doctor Who - A Symphonic Spectacular' to take place in February 2012.
Other Works
As a composer, Foster's early professional work includes theme tunes to Love on a Saturday Night, The 1970's Office and The Great British Test Series all for LWT as well as a host of commercials, working for the Mcasso Music agency. Other commercials he has worked on include award winning commercials for Soundtree Music such as Sony Paint and the 2007 Sony Walkman.Foster's work as an orchestrator and conductor for films includes 27 Dresses, The Mummy 3, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Robin Hood, Hoodwinked Too, The Grey.
In 2005 Foster re-arranged the theme tune to BBC Question Time which is currently running on BBC2.
Foster was a judge on the Blue Peter Music Makers project in 2006, a contributor to the Blue Peter Movie Makers project in 2007 and chair of the judging panel for BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008. He also contributed to the CBBC project Clash.
Ben's early work as an arranger and conductor included work for Hayley Westenra, Aled Jones, Gary Barlow, SClub7, Boyzone, Toploader and others.
Ben has worked extensively with the singer and composer Peter Gabriel since 2009, conducting his last two studio albums with the New Blood Orchestra and touring the 'New Blood' project across the world.
He works regularly with the London Session Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and has also worked with the BBC Philharmonic, RPO, BBC Concert Orchestra and the Czech Film Orchestra.
Recent work includes the themes and music for BBC Cardiff Singer of the World (2011) and BBC Young Musician (2012). He also co-wrote the music (with Murray Gold) for Scott & Bailey for ITV1.
He composed the score and arranged songs for a biopic of Dame Shirley Bassey for BBC2 which aired in September 2011.