Jack Bennett
Jack Bennett is a musical director, pianist, arranger and educator based in the UK. His career spans theatre, television, commercial sessions, concerts and educational projects worldwide.
As an MD and conductor, Jack enjoys working on everything from large-scale productions to intimate cabaret shows and workshops. Highlights as a musical director include a gala concert at the London Palladium and conducting a 35-piece orchestra at Abbey Road Studios for a new musical orchestrated and supervised by Larry Blank. Jack also worked as Associate Conductor on the revival of The Boy Friend at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2019, the same year he received the National Youth Arts Outstanding Musical Direction award for his work on a production of Little Shop of Horrors.
A respected and versatile pianist, Jack regularly works in West End theatre and provides collaborative piano accompaniment for concerts, exams and masterclasses. His experience as a theatre keyboard player includes deputising on Sunset Boulevard (Savoy Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre), Frozen (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre). Jack has also worked as an opera répétiteur and ballet pianist and is equipped to record broadcast-quality piano and keyboard tracks from his home studio.
Known for his imaginative and meticulous arranging, Jack has scored everything from expansive concert orchestra and choral arrangements to big band charts and classical restylings of pop tunes. Familiar with a broad range of musical styles, Jack produces detailed and well-presented sheet music as well as high-quality click and backing tracks, with several pantomime seasons to his name. He also possesses a wealth of experience writing bespoke orchestrations for educational settings of all levels, consistently creating music that people want to hear and musicians want to play or sing.
Alongside his performance and arranging work, Jack has amassed years of teaching experience, inspiring students of all ages and abilities. He has taught on musical theatre degree and diploma courses for ArtsEd, Laine Theatre Arts and Urdang, as well as formerly spending seven years as Music Supervisor with then-award-winning youth theatre company The Talentz. Jack offers private lessons in piano, music theory, clarinet, aural and musical theatre conducting and continues to deliver classes and workshops internationally.
Jack holds an undergraduate degree in music from Royal Holloway, University of London, where he studied piano, clarinet and organ. His postgraduate degree from Guildhall School of Music & Drama specialised in jazz arranging.
For full credits and more information, please visit www.jackwbmusic.com.
Session: Rave From the Grave
Drawing inspiration from hit musicals Young Frankenstein, The Addams Family, Hadestown and Beetlejuice, students will embark on an immersive journey, honing their acting, singing and dancing skills under the guidance of a dynamic West End director/choreographer and MD. The course also features a day of special effects makeup, enriching students’ understanding of how to amplify production values for these spook-tacular spectacles.
During the week, you will:
- Immerse yourself in numbers and scenes from four contemporary Broadway and West End musicals
- Work with an experienced musical director to refine your vocal technique within an ensemble, maximising unity, precision and power
- Refine storytelling through detailed character work
- Gain an understanding of the art of comedic staging
- Explore an array of approaches to staging and choreography, expanding your creative toolkit
- Receive continual personalised feedback to strengthen your awareness as a performer
This course is for experienced musical theatre performers.
Please be aware that there may be a nominal supplementary fee for printed course materials, although we will endeavour to minimise this wherever possible.