Ben Kazez
baritone

Acclaimed for his “velvety and full voice” (Barcelona Classica), Ben Kazez performs regularly in the U.S. and Europe. His 2022/23 season includes Pilatus/arias in Bach’s St John Passion at Amsterdam’s Westerkerk, Kuhnau’s Magnificat for Vox Luminis Atelier, and Pilatus/Pontifex in Bach’s St Matthew Passion with the Netherlands Bach Society.

As a soloist, Ben has sung under the direction of William Christie, Václav Luks, Masato Suzuki, Christian Curnyn, Lionel Meunier, and Shunske Sato, performing at venues such as St John’s Smith Square (London), London Handel Festival, Snape Maltings (Aldeburgh), Petit Palau (Barcelona), Palazzo Altemps (Rome), and Westerkerk (Amsterdam).

Ben’s extensive concert repertoire includes Bach’s Passions and 40 cantatas, Handel’s Messiah and Acis and Galatea, Monteverdi Vespers, Charpentier’s Messe de minuit, and cantatas of Buxtehude, Bruhns, Clérambault, and Rameau. He has also sung Mozart and Fauré requiems, Haydn’s Creation (Raphael/Adam), Brahms German Requiem, and song cycles including Schumann’s Dichterliebe and Vaughan Williams’s Songs of Travel.

In opera, Ben has portrayed roles such as Re di Scozia in Ariodante, Zoroastro in Orlando, Valens in Theodora, and the High Priest for the North American premiere of Marais Sémélé. He also performed in masterclasses under William Christie, featuring scenes from Charpentier’s Les Arts Florissants and Médée.

Alongside his solo work, Ben has sung in the Netherlands Bach Society, Vox Luminis, and the Monteverdi Choir under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, performing at venues including Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Vienna Musikverein, Berlin Philharmonie, Salzburg Festival, and Royal Albert Hall (BBC Proms).

Ben grew up singing and programming computers. He spent five years winning awards for his travel and language apps before earning his master’s from London’s Guildhall School and becoming a Britten–Pears Young Artist. He studied with Dame Emma Kirkby, Max van Egmond, Dame Sarah Connolly, Yvonne Kenny, and Martin Katz. During the pandemic, Ben created VMII, an award-winning search engine now used by 15,000 people monthly to explore early vocal music. He speaks French and Italian.

Contact Ben

Upcoming performances

22 August 2023

La Côte Saint André
Berlioz Les Troyens, Part 1
Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

23 August 2023

La Côte Saint André
Berlioz Les Troyens, Part 2
Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

See all upcoming performances

26 August 2023

Salzburg Festival, Großes Festspielhaus
Berlioz Les Troyens
Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

29 August 2023

Opéra Royal, Château de Versailles
Berlioz Les Troyens
Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

1 September 2023

Philharmonie Berlin, Großer Saal
Berlioz Les Troyens
Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

3 September 2023

BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall
Berlioz Les Troyens
Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

16 September 2023

Rome and area, Italy
Domenico Massenzio polyphony
Andrea de Carlo, conductor

17 September 2023

Rome and area, Italy
Domenico Massenzio polyphony
Andrea de Carlo, conductor

18 September 2023

Rome and area, Italy
Domenico Massenzio polyphony
Andrea de Carlo, conductor

19 September 2023

Rome and area, Italy
Domenico Massenzio polyphony
Andrea de Carlo, conductor

20 September 2023

Rome and area, Italy
Domenico Massenzio polyphony
Andrea de Carlo, conductor

28 September 2023

Saint Michael’s, Leuven, Belgium
Bruhns Mein Herz ist bereit
Paula Perez Romero, violin
Laurens de Man, organ

14 January 2024

St. Mary Magdalen, Berkeley, California
Bach Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, soloist
Bach Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187, soloist
Cantata Collective

19 January 2024

Cal Poly Bach Week
Bach St Matthew Passion, Jesus and arias
Tesserae Baroque
David Arrivée, conductor

20 January 2024

Cal Poly Bach Week
Bach St Matthew Passion, Jesus and arias
Tesserae Baroque
David Arrivée, conductor

2 March 2024

King’s Hall, Newcastle University
Bach St John Passion, Jesus
Newcastle Baroque
Eric Cross, conductor

Further performances to be announced soon

Recent performances

25 May 2023

Bozar, Brussels
J. M. Haydn Requiem in c, MH 155
Mozart Missa in c
Vox Luminis
B’Rock Orchestra
Caecilia Bernardini, concertmaster
Lionel Meunier, director

24 May 2023

De Singel, Antwerp
J. M. Haydn Requiem in c, MH 155
Mozart Missa in c
Vox Luminis
B’Rock Orchestra
Caecilia Bernardini, concertmaster
Lionel Meunier, director

See more recent performances

21 May 2023

Amare Concert Hall, The Hague
J. M. Haydn Requiem in c, MH 155
Mozart Missa in c
Vox Luminis
B’Rock Orchestra
Caecilia Bernardini, concertmaster
Lionel Meunier, director

6 May 2023

Sts Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, San Diego
Bach arias, Palestrina, Carissimi, Haydn, etc.
Bach Collegium San Diego – 20th Anniversary
Ruben Valenzuela, director

5 May 2023

All Souls’ Episcopal Church, San Diego
Bach arias, Palestrina, Carissimi, Haydn, etc.
Bach Collegium San Diego – 20th Anniversary
Ruben Valenzuela, director

7 April 2023

Westerkerk, Amsterdam
Bach St John Passion, Pilate, arias
Westerkerkkoor
JanJoost van Elburg, conductor

7 April 2023

Grote Kerk, Naarden, NL
Bach St Matthew Passion, Pilate, Pontifex I, chorus I
Netherlands Bach Society
Masato Suzuki, director

4 April 2023

Grote Kerk, Naarden, NL
Bach St Matthew Passion, Pilate, Pontifex I, chorus I
Netherlands Bach Society
Masato Suzuki, director

4 April 2023

TivoliVredenburg Grote Zaal, Utrecht, NL
Bach St Matthew Passion, Pilate, Pontifex I, chorus I
Netherlands Bach Society
Masato Suzuki, director

2 April 2023

Corbridge, UK
Bach St John Passion, Jesus, arias, 1/part choruses
Bishop’s Consort
David Stancliffe, conductor

1 April 2023

St. Baafskerk, Aardenburg, NL
Bach St Matthew Passion, Pilate, Pontifex I, chorus I
Netherlands Bach Society
Masato Suzuki, director

29 March 2023

Concertzaal, Tilburg, NL
Bach St Matthew Passion, Pilate, Pontifex I, chorus I
Netherlands Bach Society
Masato Suzuki, director

22 February 2023

Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University
Fauré Requiem, soloist
University Singers
Robert Huw Morgan, director

21 January 2023

Cal Poly Bach Week
Bach Jesu, der du meine Seele, BWV 78, soloist
Tesserae Baroque
David Arrivée, conductor

8 January 2023

Berkeley, California
Bach Schau, lieber Gott, BWV 153, soloist
Bach Sehet, welch eine Liebe, BWV 64, soloist
Bach Sehet, welch eine Liebe, BWV 151, soloist
Cantata Collective

26 December 2022

Westerkerk, Amsterdam
Zelenka Missa nativitatis Domini, soloist
Westerkerkkoor
JanJoost van Elburg, conductor

11 December 2022

Het Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Amsterdam
Bach Christmas Oratorio, cantatas 1–3
Buxtehude In dulci jubilo, BuxWV 52
Stölzel Ach daß die Hülfe aus Zion über Israel käme
Netherlands Bach Society
Shunske Sato, direction

10 December 2022

Domein Amerloo Concertzaal, Belgium
Bach Christmas Oratorio, cantatas 1–3
Buxtehude In dulci jubilo, BuxWV 52
Stölzel Ach daß die Hülfe aus Zion über Israel käme
Netherlands Bach Society
Shunske Sato, direction

20 November 2022

SLO Performing Arts Center, California
Fauré Requiem, soloist
San Luis Obispo Master Chorale
Thomas Davies, conductor

18 October 2022

Grande Salle des Croisades, Château de Versailles
Monteverdi L’Orfeo
Les Epopées
Stéphane Fuget, direction

14 September 2022

Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Altemps
Massenzio 2035, consort/soloist
Stradella Y-Project
Andrea de Carlo, direction

13 September 2022

Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Altemps
Massenzio 2035, consort/soloist
Stradella Y-Project
Andrea de Carlo, direction

12 September 2022

Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Altemps
Massenzio 2035, consort/soloist
Stradella Y-Project
Andrea de Carlo, direction

10 September 2022

Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola, Italy
Massenzio 2035, consort/soloist
Stradella Y-Project
Andrea de Carlo, direction

3 September 2022

St. Cyprian- und Corneliuskirche, Musikfest Bremen
Pachelbel Jauchzet dem Herrn, P 213, consort/soloist
Kuhnau Magnificat in C, consort/soloist
Vox Luminis Atelier
Lionel Meunier, director

26 August 2022

Grote Zaal, TivoliVredenburg, Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht
CPE Bach Magnificat
JS Bach B Minor Mass (excerpts)
Netherlands Bach Society
Shunske Sato, direction

20 August 2022

St. Petri Dom, Musikfest Bremen
CPE Bach Magnificat
JS Bach B Minor Mass (excerpts)
Netherlands Bach Society
Shunske Sato, direction

22 July 2022

Festival de Beaune, France
Monteverdi L’Orfeo
Les Epopées
Stéphane Fuget, direction

15 April 2022

Westerkerk, Amsterdam
Bach St John Passion, Pilate and arias
Westerkerkkoor
JanJoost van Elburg, conductor

11 April 2022

Quartier des Artistes, Thiré, France
Charpentier Leçon de ténèbres H. 122, soloist
Charpentier Médée, Créon excerpts
Charpentier Les arts florissants, La Discorde excerpts
William Christie, director

For bookings and other inquiries: ben@benkazez.com

Bach B Minor Mass in Provence
Photo credit: Julien Sabdes

Contact

For bookings and other inquiries: ben@benkazez.com