Benjamin Oatmen, production & Orchestra Librarian

Ben Oatmen has been the librarian of The Orchestra Now, a pre-professional orchestra and graduate program of Bard College, since the orchestra's founding in 2015.

Ben discovered the field of orchestra librarianship (by accident, as many librarians do) when asked to assist with music preparation for the Bard Music Festival in 2010. He has participated in each BMF since then, as well as several of Bard's Summerscape opera productions.

Ben has provided librarian and production services to several ensembles in the NYC area, including the Orchestra of Saint Luke's, the Westchester Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater, and the New Amsterdam Singers. From 2011 to 2015, he served as the assistant librarian and production assistant for the American Symphony Orchestra. Ben has had the pleasure of preparing many rarely-performed works and has developed an expertise for restoring neglected parts and scores.

A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ben earned degrees in music performance from Michigan State University (B.M.) and Mannes College of Music (M.M). He is an active freelance bass trombonist, performing in a variety of orchestras, chamber ensembles, and big bands in New York City.