Ben studied cello and composition at the Guildhall, London, and jazz at Banff Conservatory. Before moving to the US he had extensive experience in a variety of musical genres and spent many years honing his teaching skills in cello and improvisation. He led his own band, the crossover Mercury-nominated band, Basquiat Strings, and has since worked with Ingrid Laubrock, Roscoe Mitchell, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Wadada Leo Smith, Ellery Eskerlin, Bobby McFerrin and Nicole Mitchell. More recently he has been playing and recording with Bay Area musicians from the new music scene- Chris Brown, Marshall Trammell, Erik Jekabson, Jordan Glenn and Ben Goldberg.

Ben has two sons, one of which is a budding cellist at Crowden, and his wife is a professor at UC Berkeley.