Andrew Lloyd Webber Musical Director Fellow Appointed

The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is pleased to announce that, with generous support from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, Benjamin Holder has been appointed as the new Andrew Lloyd Webber Musical Director Fellow for the coming academic year.

Holder, already an accomplished Musical Director and Pianist, trained at the University of Oxford and The Royal Academy of Music and has gained work experience from across Europe, Asia, and America.  This Fellowship will serve as a crucial step further into the industry, offering specialist experience within a world class training environment and with Central’s staff acting both as mentors and professional colleagues.   During the coming year, Holder will have full access to Central’s excellent facilities, high calibre of students, and vast network of industry contacts.  His expertise will, in turn, enhance the collaborative learning experience of the students with whom he will closely work.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation was established by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1992 to promote the arts, culture and heritage for the public benefit.  Amongst its various activities, the Foundation is currently funding thirty students on Musical Theatre course scholarships at renowned musical theatre colleges throughout the UK and aims to make a real and on-going difference to people’s lives.

Two of the thirty funded students currently attend Central and will work with Holder during the course of his Fellowship. One such student who is in his final year at Central, Christian James, has described the time he has spent at the School as ‘truly life changing’.  ‘I cannot express my gratitude to the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation enough for giving me the best possible gift with the opportunity to study what I love most.’