Ben Neill
BEN NEILL (trumpet) is a composer, performer, producer, and inventor of the mutantrumpet, a hybrid electro-acoustic instrument. Neill is widely recognized as a musical innovator through his recordings, performances, and installations. He has worked with La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela since the early 1980s, studying Indian classical music and composition, as well as leading many international performances.
Neill’s music blends influences from electronica, jazz, and minimalism. He has recorded eleven albums of his music on labels including Universal/Verve, Astralwerks, Thirsty Ear, and Six Degrees. Performances include BAM Next Wave Festival, Lincoln Center, Cité de la Musique, Bing Concert Hall, Moogfest, Spoleto Festival, Umbria Jazz, Bang on a Can Festival, ICA London, Istanbul Jazz Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival. Neill has worked closely with many musical innovators including John Cage, John Cale, Pauline Oliveros, Rhys Chatham, DJ Spooky, David Berhman, Mimi Goese, Mikel Rouse, and Nicolas Collins. ITSOFOMO, his collaborative piece with artist David Wojnarowicz, has been presented in venues including the Whitney Museum, the Tate Modern, the Armand Hammer Museum, and The New Museum. From 1992 to 1998, Neill was the Music Curator of The Kitchen in New York City, and he is currently a Professor of Music at Ramapo College.
