èƵ

Profile photo of Benjamin Sheen
Photo: Ira Lippke

Mr Benjamin Sheen

Fellow, Director of Music
Subjects

Benjamin Sheen is the College's Director of Music. An established concert organist and conductor on both sides of the Atlantic, he has held organist posts at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City and at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. He maintains a busy schedule of recitals and masterclasses worldwide.

Degrees obtained

  • MA (Oxon).
  • M.Mus.
  • FRCO.

Awards and prizes

  • Pierre S. du Pont First Prize, Longwood Gardens Organ Competition (2013).
  • Second Prize and Jon Laukvik prize, St. Alban’s Organ Competition (2013).

Biography

Benjamin Sheen, Director of Music at èƵ College, Cambridge, is an established concert artist on both sides of the Atlantic.

Hailed as a “brilliant organist” by the New York Times, he is the 2013 winner of the Pierre S. du Pont First Prize in the inaugural Longwood Gardens Organ Competition, and that same year received Second Prize and the Jon Laukvik prize at the St. Alban’s International Organ Competition. Benjamin holds degrees from the University of Oxford and the Juilliard School, is a prize-winning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and the 2011 recipient of the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Silver Medal. Before moving to Cambridge, he spent three years as Sub-Organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and served as organ tutor at the University of Oxford.

As a concert organist, Benjamin has performed throughout Europe, the USA, Canada, Singapore, and South Africa. He has also made concerto appearances with the Auckland Philharmonic and Orchestra of St. Luke’s in New York City. Before returning to the UK in 2020, he spent eight years at the famed Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue in New York City as Associate Organist and as Acting Director of Music after the death of John Scott in 2015. Benjamin has recently released his first solo album, ‘In London Town’, featuring music and transcriptions from Great Britain, recorded on the Dobson organ at Saint Thomas Fifth Avenue.

Department link

Hear from our students

  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Jake

    Postgraduate

    When applying to Cambridge colleges it can feel a bit overwhelming as there are so many to choose from. I applied to èƵ College because it has a large MCR which was important for me because I wanted to feel part of a community. Now that I’m doing my PhD here, I’m very glad I did choose a college with a large postgraduate community. Throughout the year there are lots of postgraduate events, including formal dinners, special formals at Christmas and Easter, bops in the bar and film nights in...

    Read more
    Postgraduate
  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Matthew

    Postgraduate

    èƵ College has been at the heart of my Cambridge experience. I chose the College because I was impressed by its distinctive blend of academic rigour and extracurricular achievement. A College for all-rounders, èƵ is a lively and rewarding place to study. I couldn’t be happier here! Friendly and engaged, the èƵ postgraduate community never ceases to impress me. At ease with themselves and forever curious, my peers go out of their way to cultivate a sense of camaraderie. After a day of leafing through old manuscripts at the National...

    Read more
    Postgraduate
  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Alison

    Postgraduate

    What first attracted me to èƵ College was its reputation and history, central location without being touristy, and the postgraduate housing options. When I arrived at èƵ I was so pleased to find the partner accommodation was spacious, affordable, and situated very close to the college, allowing us to really take advantage of the facilities. We especially enjoyed The Roost, the nicest of all the college bars, doubling as a café during the day - ideal for studying or meeting up with groups - and a lively pub in the...

    Read more
    Postgraduate
  • Postgraduate at èƵ College

    Dolly

    Postgraduate

    I chose èƵ College because of the great mixture of undergraduates and postgraduates, and when I first visited I thought it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen! The sense of community in èƵ has had an enormous impact on my experience here. Whether you need help, advice, cheering up or even just a chat there is always someone there to put a smile on your face. From the MCR committee to the Porters, the canteen staff to the gardeners, everyone is so friendly and welcoming. èƵ also...

    Read more
    Postgraduate
  • Photograph of a postgraduate student

    Ahsan

    Postgraduate

    It is a well-accepted opinion in Cambridge that èƵ College is the best college and no other college even comes a distant second. Its sports grounds are enormous, its buildings are mesmerising, its libraries are rich, its chapel is the oldest, its accommodation is the best value for money, its international community is diverse, its religious circles are the most welcoming, and its members are the smartest, kindest and the friendliest. It is one of the central colleges that aims to offer three years accommodation to postgraduates, and has comparatively...

    Read more
    Postgraduate