Benjamin Moermond

Benjamin Moermond, an American bassoonist from Cincinnati, has joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic since September 2010. After high school his bassoon studies, which begin at the age of 13, took him to New York City where he has spent the past five years as a student at The Juilliard School. His tutors there included Judith LeClair and Patricia Rogers, and past teachers have included Martin James and Russell Hinkle. Benjamin completed his Bachelor of Music degree in 2009 and left the Master of Music degree unfinished to pursue his current position with the HK Phil.

While a student at Juilliard he was equally active as an orchestral and chamber musician and was a member of the emerging PUFF! Quintet, who were finalists in the 2009 Naumburg Chamber Music Competition and winners of the Treetops CMS J. C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition. He also performed occasionally as a substitute with the New York Philharmonic.

Recent summer activities have taken Benjamin around the world including the Juilliard Orchestra’s tour to China in the summer of 2008, as well as participation in the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo in 2008, the Lucerne Festival Academy in Switzerland in 2008 and 2009, the Youth Orchestra of the Americas European tour in 2006, and a five week residency in the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy in 2005. Other summer festivals have included Spoleto USA and the newly formed Castleton Festival under L