Ben Salfield

Early life

Ben Salfield was born in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire, UK. His father, a German Jewish refugee, was the eminent Children's Psychiatrist Dr. Derek "Dieter" Salfield (1915-2006); his mother, a home-maker, Sandra - known as "Sally" - is still alive (b.1942). Of his siblings, the best-known is undoubtedly Jon (b.1973) who, as well as an international flamenco guitarist (the two brothers have performed together internationally in Poland and Germany) is also Head Coach of the Great Britain Sabre Team.

Salfield's family settled in Cornwall, UK, when he was 9 years old, and he has lived there ever since. He began playing lute at 13 with Ian Thomson at Truro Guitar Studios. When his teacher moved away, he was mainly self-taught. His concert début was in December 1988 at St Ives Parish Church of St Ia, and shortly after he performed for the Lute Society at the Artworkers Guild, Queens Square, London. His first international recital was at the Meschede Abteikonzerte,Cologne, Germany, in 1993, and his first full international tour – in the Czech Republic – took place three years later.

Media Recognition

Ben Salfield received his first newspaper review in August 1989, for a performance at Truro Cathedral Chapter House. Headed "Performance of Real Perfection", the review compared him favourably to Julian Bream. Internationally, newspapers referred to him in complimentary terms, especially in Italy, Poland and Sweden; and in the UK, guitarist Nicola Hall described him in glowing terms on BBC radio as "like some modern-day Paganini". Some years later Dutch reviewer David van der Hof reprised her description, calling Ben Salfield "Cornwall's Paganini", and remarking that "it is hard to put into words exactly just how dominating a personality he is". More recently, the world's oldest magazine for fretted instruments, BMG, said about Ben Salfield: "there can be few rivals, if any, to his explosive talent"; while Cornwall Today magazine remarked on his "huge international following".

Television, Promotions & Composition

Ben Salfield has appeared on television and radio, including on BBC World Television who included his duo's music on a DVD. He has founded and directed concert series and festivals including the Tolmen International Guitar Symposium, Constantine) (2003-2010) among them, earning critical recognition. Additionally, he has run series on behalf of other organisations, including lunchtime concerts for the Hall For Cornwall, and co-directed, with his brother Jon, the earliest music sessions at the Eden Project. He is currently co-manager of Kernow Concerts and the Director of the Hellys International Guitar Festival.

He has composed music for organisations and individuals, and in December 2012 his guitar suite for Andrea Dieci, "5-4-10", was published in Poland

Recordings

Publications

Ben Salfield's first music publication was one of his own suites, written for the Italian guitarist Andrea Dieci, in 2012. In 2014 He signed with UK publishers Peacock Press. In January 2017 he announced that he was parting company with them in the summer, and had already signed with Bergmann Edition, the Danish publisher.

Lutenist

Salfield has performed as a soloist, as an accompanist to singers including the "highly regarded" Lucile Clitherow, and Susan King; in duo with lutenists Denys Stephens and Michael Tyack, and his brother Jon Salfield; and in ensemble with Horsemen of the Apocalypse (featuring percussionist Simon Stanton and bass guitarist Rowan Nightingale) and Polish group, Szyman's Quartet. In August 2015 he gave four concert performances in the UK with his new duo partnership featuring Italian classical guitarist Andrea Dieci, and that November appeared in a series of concerts with him in Poland. BMG Magazine described the duo as "two of the world's finest musicians in their respective fields" Between 1988 and 2013, Salfield performed only on a 10-course lute made by luthier Philip Brown. After the instrument was rebuilt for a third time, following damage during air transit on his way to perform with Lucile Clitherow in Slovakia, he commissioned luthier Kif Wood to make him "the ultimate instrument" – a 10-course lutar – which featured brand new building techniques and materials. The lutar made its concert début at Ben Salfield's 25th Anniversary Concert at Towednack Church, St Ives in September 2013. There is no official word for someone who plays a lutar, and he continues to be described as a "lutenist".

Teacher

Ben Salfield teaches privately in Cornwall. He also gives master classes abroad and has taught at summer schools in Poland, Germany and Italy. He has also appeared on juries for international guitar competitions since 1993, when he was a member of the jury that gave Italian guitarist Nicola Jappelli first prize in the Niccolo Paganini Festival, Parma, Italy. More recently, he was a jury member at Dolný Kubín, Slovakia, in 2011.

Personal life

Salfield lives in Truro, Cornwall, UK. He has a partner, and two children from previous relationships who do not live with him.