In 2015, with the goal in mind to apply for Juilliard’s conductor course, he arranged for a concert, conducting his friends and colleagues in Beethoven’s 1st Symphony, which fulfilled a request of the course’s application process. Under Hochman’s direction, the successful encounter led to the founding of the Roosevelt Island Symphony, now in its fourth season. (...)

“There were only two pupils accepted into the prestigious Juilliard conducting program, which was led by Alan Gilbert and wonderful guest conductors, and it was a fantastic experience for me,” says Hochman. (...) A recipient of the Bruno Walter Scholarship and Charles Schiff Award, Hochman trained under Gilbert and James Ross and was also appointed musical assistant to Louis Langrée, Thierry Fischer, Paavo Järvi, and Jeffrey Kahane during the 2016 Mostly Mozart Festival, serving as assistant conductor to Leon Botstein for American Symphony’s concerts at Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, and to Emmanuel Villaume at Juilliard. Following masterclasses with Fabio Luisi, David Zinman, and many others, he was also part of the 2018 Tanglewood Conducting Seminar. 

There is something very personable about his eloquent, intelligent, and serious manner and elegant flair, which translate into artistic integrity on stage. Whether on the podium, at the keyboard in recital, or performing chamber music, Hochman sees himself mostly as a musician, deeply dedicated to the spirit of collaboration.
 

Profile in the Jerusalem Post: All About Mozart: Benjamin Hochman will perform the full cycle of Mozart piano sonatas over the next 8 months.

Profile in Classical Post: Israeli pianist Benjamin Hochman Immerses in Mozart After Sabbatical