BENJAMIN SKEPPER
Composer · Cellist · Interdisciplinary Artist · Creative Director
Music · Art · Science · Technology · Culture
Benjamin Skepper is an internationally recognised Australian-Japanese artist whose career moves across classical and experimental music, contemporary art, fashion and luxury, immersive sound, science and technology.
AT A GLANCE
20+ years international practice
40+ years musical practice
MIT Press published researcher
Founder of contrapuntal
Benjamin Skepper Biography PDF
SELECTED COLLABORATIONS
Fashion + Luxury
LVMH · FENDI · Gucci · Yohji Yamamoto · Krizia · Simone Rocha · H&M · Dom Pérignon · Blancpain · Four Seasons
Arts + Culture
Sydney Festival · MONA · National Gallery of Victoria · National Gallery of Australia · Phoenix Central Park · Arts Centre Melbourne · Science Gallery · State Hermitage Museum · Museo del Novecento · Vivid Sydney
Media + Editorial
Forbes Japan · Rolling Stone Italy · Rolling Stone Russia · GQ Japan · VICE · L’Officiel Hommes · Sydney Morning Herald · Limelight
THE PRACTICE
PERFORMANCE
Cello · Piano · Harpsichord · Electronics · Improvisation
International live performance across concert halls, festivals, museums, fashion, private events and immersive environments.
COMPOSITION + SOUND
Composition · Sound Design · Spatial Audio · Sonic Environments
Original music, bespoke commissions, multichannel composition and immersive sound.
CREATIVE DIRECTION
Fashion · Luxury · Cultural Institutions · Branded Experience
Concept development, music direction, performance, installation and multidisciplinary cultural experiences.
ART + SCIENCE
Genetic Music · Sonification · Neuroacoustic Composition · Interdisciplinary Research
Research and creative practice exploring relationships between music, mathematics, biology, perception and the human body.
SELECTED CAREER MOMENTS
SYDNEY FESTIVAL
Headline Artist + Music Program Co-Curator
Temperament · 2024
WAVES / LIGO
Music, science + gravitational-wave sonification
Colorado · 2025
YOHJI YAMAMOTO
Tokyo Fashion Week
Tokyo
DOM PÉRIGNON
Composition Commission + Live Media Installation + Digital Campaign
Tokyo
MONA FOMA
Headline Artist
Tasmania
MIT PRESS · LEONARDO
Published Genetic Music Research
2020
STATE HERMITAGE / MANIFESTA 10
International Contemporary Art
St Petersburg
NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA
Featured Artist — Napoleon: Revolution to Empire
Melbourne
ABOUT
Benjamin Skepper is a composer, cellist, pianist, creative director and interdisciplinary artist with an international career spanning music, contemporary art, science, technology, fashion and luxury.
Beginning piano at the age of two and touring internationally from childhood, Skepper developed an unusually broad musical language encompassing cello, piano, harpsichord, electronics, improvisation, composition and sound design.
Over more than two decades of professional practice, his work has taken him across Australia, Asia, Europe, Russia and the United States — from concert halls, museums and international festivals to fashion runways, luxury commissions, immersive installations and private cultural environments.
Through contrapuntal, the creative studio he founded in Tokyo, Skepper develops performances, commissions and multidisciplinary experiences that bring together music, visual art, architecture, technology and culture.
His career has included collaborations with organisations including LVMH, FENDI, Gucci, Yohji Yamamoto, Dom Pérignon, Four Seasons, Sydney Festival, MONA, the National Gallery of Victoria, National Gallery of Australia, Phoenix Central Park and the State Hermitage Museum.
Alongside his artistic practice, Skepper has pursued long-form research at the intersection of music and science. He is a Research Fellow in Genetic Music at Moscow State Conservatory and a named co-author of Genetic Music research published by MIT Press’s Leonardo. His broader work extends across sonification, spatial audio, psychoacoustics and neuroacoustic composition.
Skepper also holds Arts and Law degrees with Honours from the University of Melbourne and qualified as a solicitor before establishing his international creative practice. His Japanese-language book, Artist Thinking, was published by President Inc. in 2021.
Across these different fields, the constant in Skepper’s work is an interest in what becomes possible when musical traditions, cultures, technologies and forms of knowledge collide.
“Embodying classical aesthetic, music and culture, Benjamin Skepper is a musician with an extraordinary sense of the contemporary.”
— Rolling Stone Italy
SELECTED WORKS + CHRONOLOGY
Explore more than two decades of performance, composition, art, fashion, luxury, research and international collaboration.
MUSIC COMPOSITION, LIVE PERFORMANCES + FESTIVALS
2026
A Taste of the Senses V: Godai by contrapuntal at Fitzroy Town Hall (Melbourne)
Saint Haven Wellness Club – Resident Sound Healer (weekly sessions, ongoing) (Melbourne)
2025
WAVES: World Premiere 10th Anniversary LIGO Nobel Prize Project (Colorado)
A Taste of the Senses: Into the Dark by contrapuntal (Melbourne)
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) 2025-2027 Program launch (Melbourne)
Echoes: Solo Show at the Fitzroy Town Hall (Melbourne)
2024
Sydney Festival Headline + Music Program Co-Curator for “Temperament” (Sydney)
Solo Show at the Fitzroy Town Hall (Melbourne)
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