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Benjamin Morrison: From CSM to the Vienna Philharmonic

28 Apr, 2026 | Alumni & Friends

In his childhood home in Christchurch, there was a tuning fork and when a very young Benjamin (Ben) Morrison heard it sound a concert A and matched it with his voice, he internalised its pitch. From there he found that he could memorise other pitches, in the same way as he memorised his colours. Paired with his early Suzuki violin learning at CSM Ben built his capacity for perfect pitch and believes every child can do the same. In his case, his repertoire of pitches was limited at first to those of the violin but, using the power of the octave, he quickly built what he needed to both recognise and play a wide range of musical genres and styles. When he then went on to learn to read music, his early aural training supported his ability to play with others, including at home with his father who played violin and guitar and later became an accomplished violin maker. Ben remembers his father’s early dedication to supporting his musical development and while he gave young Ben little choice about practicing an hour and a half before school and the same at the end of the day, it has clearly paid off!

Now a member of the Vienna State Opera orchestra (since 2014) and the Vienna Philharmonic (since 2017), Ben has developed his repertoire and musical preferences playing with a range of different ensembles and orchestras over the years. Highlights have included playing the Britten violin concerto with the NZSO under Gemma New; exploring the work of new British composer Thomas Ades; and playing everything Brahms wrote for the violin! He loves being part of a large orchestra and the magical moments that happen on stage when everyone is ‘giving it their all’. He modestly says he’s ‘lucky to sit near the front’ (he’s a first violinist) because it is a position that is highly active and contributes to how the orchestra performs as a whole. Audiences are very good a picking up whether an orchestra is playing to communicate the music or is just playing for itself, he says. Attitude and body language ripples through a group, so players’ intentions have to be open, honest and clear: ‘We’re here to make music’. Much as he loves orchestral playing, Ben also loves chamber music and has his own quartet, the Nicolai Quartet, which has performed in many countries and in 2019 won the Pasticcio-Preis for their all-Beethoven album.

For his 21st birthday, Ben’s father gave him one of the instruments he himself had crafted (his 13th) and it has served him well both in New Zealand and in Europe ever since. But in 2017 Ben was also able to purchase a violin made in 1770 by Joseph Gagliano. He chose it for its sound but found it hard to play in the way he wanted at first. Every violin has its own personality and will ‘guide your musical decisions and way of making music’ and Ben says it took him quite some time to work out how to get the best out of the instrument and to stop trying to get it to do things it cannot do. Now he is happy to have both instruments and will switch between them depending on the style he is playing.

“The guiding message of music is always positive”

– Benjamin Morrison

Ben is clear that one’s personal life affects one’s preferences and understanding of music. For example, the birth of his child made everything sound new again; and the loss of a friend has had a permanent impact on his approach to Mahler. Understanding the life of the composer is equally important and can affect the way you play, and the imagery and feelings the music conjures up and evokes in others. Key to being an effective musician, however, is to turn off the ego (and the potentially crippling nervousness that goes with it) and embody the music; trusting that people who come to listen want to hear the music and are not judging the performer.

Ben cares deeply about educating future generations because listening and making music is crucial for our mental health and wellbeing. He suggests that if the New Zealand government would value and promote music the way it does sport, we would all be so much better off. “The guiding message of music is always positive” says Ben. And actually, there is more in common with sport than many realise because being a professional musician is physically demanding. He argues that resistance training should be on every musician’s list particularly when they are a teenager. Body knowledge and awareness, the importance of posture and stretching, and being active for the endurance of playing long rehearsals and concerts is key.

Despite being overseas for several years, Ben is still very much a New Zealander and is keen to see music continue to flourish in Aotearoa New Zealand through organisations such as the Christchurch School of Music. Here’s hoping we can get him back to do one of his masterclass workshops soon!

Ben was interviewed in Vienna by Robyn Nuthall in August 2025.

A decade of lessons, orchestras and teaching shaped Jude Horrill’s musical life—and still resonates long after she sold her much-loved cello, ‘Grace’.

For Jude, CSM is not simply a place she studied — it is where her teenage years were formed. Looking back, her memories arrive as a rush: “Life forming, confidence building, skill building,” she says. “A wonderful way to spend my teenage years.”

Jude began cello lessons at CSIM, as it was then, in 1976, aged 12, studying with respected teacher Ellen Doyle. “I think I started my cello lessons with Ellen Doyle in 1976 when I was 12 years old,” she recalls, an early start that quickly became a defining commitment.

Her progress was swift. Working through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) examination system, Jude achieved her LRSM at just 18, followed by an LTCL through Trinity College London — milestones that reflected both technical accomplishment and growing artistic confidence.

Across her 10 years at CSM, Jude’s musical world expanded well beyond the studio. She joined the CSM Christchurch Youth Orchestra, performed with Ellen Doyle’s 18-cellist ensemble, and later played in the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra for around four years.

One performance stands out in particular: Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras Suite No. 1, played with the 18 cellists. For Jude, experiences like these weren’t just unforgettable, they were the training ground for listening, leadership and collaboration that professional music demands.

By the end of her time at CSM, Jude had moved into teaching as well, spending about two years as a cello teacher. This was an experience that helped cement her own musicianship. She left Aotearoa New Zealand in 1987.  Her final year connected with CSM, by then as a teacher, was 1986.

That foundation carried her across the Tasman. After leaving New Zealand, she completed a Postgraduate Performance Diploma in Australia, studying with cellist Christian Wojtowicz—an opportunity that marked the next step from strong local training to wider professional horizons.

Jude went on to play professionally for six years before moving into other careers. Even so, music remained close: for decades her cello—affectionately named ‘Grace’—travelled with her through life.

After 31 years overseas, Jude returned home and bought land near Levin, where she and her partner, established their current venture, Gourmet Mushrooms.  This has earned her the memorable description: “cellist and fungi farmer.” She sold ‘Grace’ only three years ago, closing one chapter while carrying its influence into the next.

Today, Jude’s story is a reminder of what CSM can offer young musicians: a place to build craft, community and confidence. “Wonderful memories,” she says—and the strength of that simple conclusion says everything.

April 2026

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