Assistant Conductor Philharmonic Orchestra
An award-winning conductor, Firer is active throughout the Chicago area. He holds conducting positions at Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras and Lewis University. Benjamin received his Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from Northwestern University and a Master’s Degree from Yale University. As an orchestral musician he has recorded for the Naxos and Albany labels.
As a guest conductor, Firer has made appearances with the symphony orchestras of of Champaign-Urbana, Dubuque, DuPage, Miami, Fargo-Morehead, Orchestra de la Francophonie, Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, Northwestern University Opera Theatre, Alice Millar Brass Ensemble, and New Music New Haven.
Firer was selected as an Emerging Conductor with the Peninsula Music Festival and as the conducting fellow for the Atlantic Music Festival. 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.
What is the first album/CD/cassette you ever bought?
Radiohead’s Kid A (CD!)
What is your favorite musical memory from when you were young?
Performing Bernstein’s – West Side Story alongside my first teacher.
