BENJAMIN PERRY WENZELBERG is based between Amsterdam and New York City. He is an Artistic Partner and Creative Associate of the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, with whom he has conducted (including continuo) Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam and on tour across the Netherlands — also stepping in as countertenor to sing Cherubino from the podium for the final performances — an ongoing Haydn opera cycle (including at Musikfest Bremen 2026), and a groundbreaking semi-staged concert pastiche exploring the work of Marianna Martines. Last season, he also guest conducted the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic (including the world premiere of his composition, commissioned for the orchestra and mezzo-soprano Maria Warenberg); Het Muziek (formerly Asko|Schönberg Ensemble: Dutch premiere of Gordon/Lang/Wolfe’s Shelter); the European premiere of his own prize-winning opera, NIGHTTOWN, with the Dutch National Opera Academy; and an acclaimed debut at the Tanglewood Music Festival.

In 2026/27, he conducts the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Antwerp Symphony, and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse; leads a chamber version of Debussy’s Pélleas et Mélisande with the Dutch National Opera Studio/Nederlandse Reisopera/Opera Zuid; and conducts the world premiere of Burmese Days by Prach Boondiskulchok for La Monnaie (Brussels) — all debut appearances — as well as return engagements with Het Muziek, Orchestra of the 18th Century, and the Dutch National Opera Academy. Previous guest conducting includes with Noord Nederlands Orkest, Tonkünstler Orchester, Residentie Orkest, and the Boston Pops (Winner of their 2018 Bernstein Centenary Memorial Conducting Competition). Assistant Conducting highlights include with the Atlanta Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Boston Lyric Opera (Aucoin’s Eurydice: also countertenor cover), Rotterdam Philharmonic, Belgian National Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, and Juilliard Opera.

Wenzelberg’s opera, NIGHTTOWN, had its European premiere in February 2026 by the Dutch National Opera Academy, after being commissioned and world premiered to critical acclaim by Lowell House Opera in 2022; the piece won The American Prize in Composition and an ASCAP Award. He also received an ASCAP Award for his first opera, The Sleeping Beauty. His wintertime cantata, Any of Those Decembers, was released on PARMA records by Lyric Fest (Philadelphia), who commissioned the work; another composition is featured on Devony Smith’s GRAMMY-nominated album, In This Short Life. Also a two-time BMI Composer Award Winner, he has received commissions and performances by/at the Tonkünstler-Orchester, Musikverein Wien, Carnegie Hall, Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Muziek in de Nicolaas Basilica (Amsterdam; commissioned his Magnificat/Nunc Dimittis) and the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra. At age 16, he won 1st prize as conductor/composer at the Grafenegg Festival’s “Ink Still Wet” programme.

As a countertenor, Wenzelberg was a 2021 Metropolitan Opera National Council District Winner, and has performed as a vocal soloist at the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, New York City Opera, Atlanta Opera, American Bach Soloists, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Lyric Fest, the Columbus, Portland (ME), and Phoenix Symphonies, Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Carnegie Hall. Piano credits include appearances with the Aspen Music Festival & School and Spoleto Festival (Italy), at the latter in recital (collaborative pianist and countertenor) with Barbara Hannigan.

Wenzelberg served as Conducting Fellow at the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester under Alan Gilbert; masterclasses include with the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program (Marin Alsop), Gstaad Festival Academy (Jaap van Zweden/Johannes Schlaefli), Tanglewood Music Center (Stefan Asbury), and the Grafenegg Festival (Christian Jost/Martyn Brabbins). He graduated from the Dutch National Master’s in Orchestral Conducting, Harvard College, and Juilliard Pre-College, and sang as a child soloist and chorister at the Metropolitan Opera for eight seasons. He is fluent in Spanish and proficient in German, with working knowledge of French, Italian, and Dutch. (615 words)