BENJAMIN SKEPPER ARTIST BIO

 

Benjamin Skepper, is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, an innovator fascinated by evolving technologies and our deepest corporeal connections to music. He combines classical aesthetics with contemporary art, science, technology, and the avant-garde. He’s no less fascinated by issues of identity, human rights and the many relationships between sound, medicine and healing. Celebrated for his ability to weave through musical boundaries and artistic expressions, Skepper has received international recognition for his comprehensive body of work.

 

Starting his musical journey as a piano prodigy at age two, Skepper embraced numerous art forms from an early age, including ballet, singing, harpsichord, and further studies in the violoncello. From his first international tour at 10, Skepper’s passion for travel and cross-cultural exchange has landed him commissions from all over the world. His practice embraces experimental approaches to classical composition, sound design, and multi-artform practice. His passion and diverse skill-set allow him to find new connections between distinct disciplines. 

 

While pursuing a successful music career, Skepper also obtained an Arts/Law degree from the University of Melbourne. A dedicated human rights advocate and solicitor, he voluntarily supports NGOs, community arts organisations and charities, reaffirming his strong belief in the transformative power of art for social change, inclusion and healing.

 

As both a cultural producer and director, Skepper founded contrapuntal, an art studio and creative enterprise. Through this vehicle, he delivers unique multi-artform installations, performances and exhibitions, collaborating with museums, luxury brands, government agencies, festivals, and more. Under the umbrella of contrapuntal, he has also launched his independent music label, which, to date, boasts six self-produced solo releases.

 

Skepper is an innovative thinker, seeking to integrate scientific breakthroughs within his creative practice. He’s particularly interested in how music and sound influence human experiences, and has ventured into the world of genetics and neuroscience, particularly in the context of music and healing. His projects represent a unique cross-disciplinary approach to art, tech and science.

 

Additionally, as an author, Benjamin communicates his vivid ideas on art, innovation, and sustainable futures, most recently through his book ‘Artist Thinking’. A compelling writer and performer, he is frequently featured across a range of media outlets, and embraces every opportunity to influence positive social transformation through his art.

 

“Embodying classical aesthetic, music and culture, Benjamin Skepper is a musician with an extraordinary sense of the contemporary” (Rolling Stone Italy)

 

https://benjaminskepper.com/

 

ARTIST CHRONOLOGY (SELECTED WORKS)

 

MUSIC COMPOSITION, LIVE PERFORMANCES + FESTIVALS

 

2024

Sydney Festival Headline Performances + Music Co-Curator for “Temperament” (Sydney)

2023

Phoenix Central Park Solo Show (Sydney)
“Praeludium y Fuga” at the Melbourne Recital Centre (Melbourne)
Music Room Melbourne “Praeludium y Fuga” album launch (Melbourne)

2022           

“The GABAN” by Brook Andrew, for Art Gallery of NSW, Opening of Sydney Modern (Sydney)

2021           

“For Our Freedom” Music and Documentary Project (Iwate, Japan)

2020           

Signal Festival Asia (Bali)
Festival No.23 (Melbourne)

2019

“Praeludium y Fuga” World Premiere at Moscow State Conservatory (Moscow)
Fields Festival (Moscow)
Cosmoscow Art Fair (Moscow)

2018           

Astana Art Show (Astana)
Signal Festival at Nikola-Lenivets (Russia)
VIVID Ideas at Royal Botanical Gardens (Sydney)
Noise and Fury Festival (17th edition), DOM curated by Alexei Borisov (Moscow)

2017

Science Gallery Melbourne Commission “Pump up your Blood”
Progressive Ginza Festival (Tokyo)
Acoustic Village Festival (Tokyo)

2016           

MARS Center for Media Art with 404.zero (Центр МАРС)  (Moscow)
Experimental Music & Art Expo at Vadima Sidur Museum (Moscow)
Future Ambient Experimental Music Event Launch, Wall&Wall (Tokyo)
Noor Bar with Andrei OID (Moscow)
Klanghaus Festival (Vienna)
Symmetry Festival (Vienna)
TECTONIC Event launch, St Stephens Anglican Church (Melbourne)
Bennetts Lane Jazz Club (Melbourne)

2015           

Beyond the Bright Black Edge of Nowhere, Fed Square (Melbourne)
Ormond Hall (Melbourne)
Super Deluxe (Tokyo)

2014           

The Hermitage Foundation – Manifesta 10 EU Biennial of Contemporary Art (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
The Kelvin Club (Melbourne)

2013           

MONA FOMA Festival Headline (Tasmania)
Midsummer Nights Dream Festival Headline (Moscow)
Bennetts Lane Jazz Club (Melbourne)
The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
Theatre Royal (Victoria)

2012           

National Gallery of Victoria “Napoleon: Revolution to Empire” Featured Artist, Art After Dark (Melbourne)
Palazzo Serbelloni x AMICA Magazine 50th Anniversary (Milan)
Venice Carnivale – “The Forbidden Pleasures of Cassnova” (Venice)
Theatre Royal (Victoria)
The Toff in Town (Melbourne)

2011           

Museo del Novecento Sunday sound improvisations (Milan)
Fondazione Alda FENDI –Esperimenti di Quaresima (Rome)
Promotional Video for Fabriano Jazz Festival Umbria (Rome)
“Rooms 22” Japan Fashion + Design Trade Fair Sound Installation (Tokyo)
Chapel Off Chapel “Inimitable” album launch (Melbourne)

2010           

“Gallery on the Hill” Opening (Tokyo)
“United Nations Museum” Opening with butoh master Kudo (Tokyo)
2nd Tokyo Photographic Art Fair – Opening Night Performance (Tokyo)
ExperIstanbul at 60m2 (Istanbul)
amfAR Gala Vienna Life Ball VIP event with Calvin Klein (Vienna)

2007           

FINA International Swimming Championships at Fed Square (Melbourne)
National Gallery of Australia 25th Anniversary Performance (Canberra)

2006-2007  

Meredith Music Festival, Rainbow Serpent Festival, Folk Rhythm and Life Festival, St. Kilda Festival, Tasmanian Forest Festival (Australia) Revolver Upstairs (Melbourne), Abercrombie, Beach Hotel (Sydney), Solbar (Brisbane), Mojos Bar, Civic Hotel (Perth), Northcote Social Club (Melbourne), Corner Hotel (Melbourne), Esplanade Hotel (Melbourne), Evelyn Hotel (Melbourne), East Brunswick Club (Melbourne), Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Melbourne) with Melbourne Trip-Hop band “Miso”

2003-2004

Environ Sessions with Uberlingua at Loop Bar curated by Brendan Palmer (Melbourne)

1991

International Music tour as Suzuki Music Ambassador (New Zealand)

1987-1995

National tours with Carinya Strings Melbourne, The National Boys Choir, Percy  Grainger Youth Orchestra, Melbourne String Ensemble and as a solo musician

 

MUSEUM COMMISSIONS + SOUND ART + ART EXHIBITIONS

2021

“A Taste of the Senses: Introspection” at Kudan House (Tokyo)
“Hibiki” Exhibition at Tiers Gallery Omotesando (Tokyo)

2020

“A Taste of the Senses” Series Launch at Kudan House with Pommery Champagne (Tokyo)

2019           

National Gallery of Australia with Nakaya Fujiko (Canberra)

2016           

Cairotronica Multi Media Festival Installation (Cairo)
Symmetry Festival Exhibition Hungarian Institute with the Moscow Conservatoryu (Vienna)

2015           

World Premiere at Siggraph Asia – 16 ch. multimedia installation with NHK, Canon (8K Camera launch), Tokyo Denki University and The Hokusai Art Foundation (Kobe)
Sound Art Exhibition C’a D’Oro Gallery Chelsea (New York)

2011           

“Dirty, Dirty! Sex, Sex!”ArtGig Tokyo Group Exhibition with Yoko Ono (Tokyo)

2010           

Museo del Novecento Art Museum Inauguration (Milan)
“Sight & Sound: Music & Abstraction in Australian Art” at The Victorian Arts Centre: curator Steven Tonkin (Melbourne)

2009-2010  

“No Mans Land” at the French Embassy: curator Helene Kelmachter (Tokyo)

2009

“requiem d’une marionette” at PLSMIS Art Gallery (Tokyo)
“requiem d’une marionette” at Frank Lloyd Wright and Tadao Ando’s “Jiyu Gakuen” (Tokyo)

2007           

National Gallery of Australia “Culture Warriors” Indigenous Art Triennial (Canberra)
“Bright Fires” performance artwork at Gertrudes Contemporary Art Spaces with Christian Thompson (Melbourne)

ARTIST RESIDENCIES, FELLOWSHIPS

2018           

Astana Art Show Residency (Kazakhstan)

2017           

Science Gallery Melbourne inaugural artist residency (Melbourne)

2016           

Klanghaus (Vienna)
Moscow State Conservatory Research Fellowship (ongoing) (Russia)

2015           

St Petersburg State Conservatory of Music (by invitation) (Russia)

2009-2010         

“No Mans Land” artist residency at the French Embassy (Tokyo)

 

FASHION | LUXURY COMMISSIONS + EVENT ACTIVATIONS + ART DIRECTION by CONTRAPUNTAL

2021           

H&M x Simone Rocha – Immersive Media Art Installation + Bespoke Fashion x Art VIP Shopping Experience (Tokyo)

2018           

FENDI private event (Rome)
COEDO Beer Brewery Installation (Japan)

2016           

VOGUE Fashion’s Night Out x Tsvetnoy Central Market Kinetic Media Installation (Moscow)
Gazprom Corporate Event (Moscow)

2015           

Spring Fashion Week Music Direction and Performance (Melbourne)
DULUX Color Awards Sound Design and Performance (Melbourne)
Crown Casino Melbourne VIP Fashion Night Sound Design and Performance (Melbourne)
SENSIS Corporate Event (Melbourne)

2014           

Milan Fashion Week Sound Installation for Rachel Skepper Millinery at White Trade Show (Milan)
Milan Fashion Week for KRIZIA at Palazzo Litta (Milan)

2013           

Opening for The Four Seasons Hotel Lions Palace with Blancpain and Tourbillon (St. Petersburg)

2011           

Phillip Treacy Private VIP Fashion Show, Christines (Melbourne)
FIAT 500 by GUCCI “Chicnic” Car Launch, Italian Embassy (Tokyo)

2010           

Rooms 22 Fashion + Design Trade Fair 3 day sound installation and performance, Harajuku National Sports Stadium (Tokyo)
Paris Fashion Week for The Viridi-Anne, Tour Jean sans Peur (Paris)

2009           

Tokyo Fashion Week for Yohji Yamamoto, Olympic Stadium (Tokyo)    

2008           

Claska Hotel Opening (Tokyo)

2007           

Australian Greens Party Federal Campaign Launch (Melbourne)
Victoria Department of Environment Conference (Melbourne)

SOLO ALBUM RELEASES – RELEASED by contrapuntal RECORDS

2023

Praeludium y Fuga at Music Room (Melbourne)

 2015

“Apodictic” at Ormond Hall (Melbourne)

2013/14

“In The Field”  at Konno Hachiman Shrine (Tokyo) and The Kelvin Club (Melbourne)

2012

“Inimitable”   at Konno Hachiman Shrine (Tokyo) and The Toff in Town (Melbourne)

2010

“Parnassus”  at Konno Hachiman Shrine (Tokyo)

2009

“Eika 詠歌”   at “Jiyugakuen” Frank Lloyd Wright/T. Ando (Tokyo)

 

COMPOSITION COMMISSIONS, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS and FILMWORKS

2012

Dom Pérignon composition commission, live media installation and digital campaign producer (Tokyo)
“Fairytale in Tokyo” – short film co-producer and Director of Music

2010         

Electrolux “UltraSilencer” vacuum cleaner live performance + YouTube Advertising Campaign Producer for Press Launch VIP Event (Japan)

2009-2010

“No Mans Land” Exhibition Documentary Film, French Embassy (Tokyo)

2007

“Boodjarri Business” Documentary Film Music Director for the Western Australian Government Department of Health (Perth)
Qantas Airways “Inflight Entertainment” BGM (Australia)
ABC TV “First Tuesday Book Club” program BGM (Australia)

MAJOR PRESS EDITORIALS

2023

Limelight Magazine, June Edition

2021

Forbes Japan, March edition

2018

L’Officiel Hommes (Kazakhstan), November Edition

2017

Good Weekend Editorial Artist Feature (Australia)

2015

VICE | THUMP AU Interview and Music Video Launch March Edition

2013

Time Out Magazine Russia, July Edition

2012

GQ Japan, December Edition
AMICA Italy, May Edition

2011           

Rolling Stone Magazine Italy, Edition #91
Rolling Stone Magazine Russia, Edition #84

 

TELEVISION

2024

ABC TV Weekend Breakfast

2021

NHK Japan Sendai Piano

2010

MTV Italy Interview (Milan)

2009

Tokyo Television Morning News (3 December, Tokyo)
iTunes Japan “Versus” TBS Television Network (Tokyo)

1990           

“New Faces” Channel 9 Television Network (Melbourne)

1989-1991

“Carols By Candelight” with The National Boys Choir (Melbourne)

 

SELECTED CHARITY WORK + ART BOARDS

2022 ongoing

Gasworks Art Park Board Director

2013

Police Look Beyond – Featured in Photographic Book by Giovanni Gastel et al. to raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières in response to the Sahel emergency in Africa (Italy)

2010

“Black Wave: Help Haiti” Charity Event for Japan Red Cross (Tokyo)
“Mode for Charity” for the White Ribbon Alliance and W.H.O (Tokyo)

2004-2006  

Youth Affairs Council Victoria Policy Advisory Group Board Member (Melbourne)

2002           

Non-Timber Forest Products NGO Human Rights Advocate (Cambodia)

2006        

Fundraising Event for the Gyuto Monks of Tibet (Melbourne)

1996

Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria Performance (Melbourne)

 

PRIVATE PERFORMANCES AND PATRONS

2010

Friends of Le Centre du Pompidou (Tokyo)

2009

Archduchess of Austria TB-A 21 Founder, Francesca von Hapsburg (Tokyo)
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Nakamatsu (Tokyo)

2007           

The Gyuto Monks of Tibet (Melbourne)

1995           

Welcome Ceremony for His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet (Melbourne)

1990           

Sir Sidney Ballieu Myer (Melbourne)

 

MUSIC CONFERENCES AND MASTERCLASSES

1994-1996  

Melbourne String Ensemble directed by Dr. Fintan Murphy (Melbourne)

1994-1995  

Melbourne Youth Music (Melbourne)

1990-1991  

“Studio Appia” directed by Richard Owen (Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney)

1991           

Suzuki Music at Cambridge University (New Zealand)
Adelaide University with “Carinya Strings” directed by Andrew Schellhorn and patronised by Sir Sidney Ballieu Myer (Adelaide)

1989-1991  

“The National Boys Choir Australia” directed by Mr. Peter Casey (Melbourne)

GOVERNMENT GRANTS + SCHOLARSHIPS

 2023

Creative Partnerships Australia

2022           

Creative Partnerships Australia

2019           

Creative Partnerships Australia

2019

Australia Japan Foundation

2018           

Creative Partnerships Australia MatchLab Recipient 

2016           

Creative Victoria Quick Start Grant

2002           

Melbourne University Exchange Scholarship

2002           

Association of International Education Japan Scholarship

 

QUALIFICATIONS

2008           

JLPT Certificate Level 1 Japanese Language Proficiency

2007           

Certificate IV in Small Business Management RMIT University Melbourne

2006           

Admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria as solicitor/barrister

2006           

L.L.M University of Melbourne (presently deferred)

2005           

B.A / L.L.B (hons) University of Melbourne

 

BRAND AMBASSADORSHIPS | ENDORSEMENTS

Yamaha Music | Ableton | Oyaide

 

PUBLICATIONS

BOOKS

 “Artist Thinking” (2021), President Publisher (Japan), October 1 (Japanese language)

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Quhenberger R, Skepper, B, Stepanian I. (2020) [C G A T] Epita Matrix Genetics: Toward a Visualization of Genetic Codes via “Genetic Music”, MIT Leonardo Journal, Volume 53, Issue 1, February 2020, p.88-89.

Skepper, B., Stepanian I. (2017). Bioinformatics: Towards a New Сulture of Science and Art, Journal of Biomedical Radioelectronics, Radiotehknika, Moscow, Russia.

ARTS PUBLICATIONS

Limelight Magazine, Cutting Edge Column, June 2023

Artnews Japan 2021