Benjamin Van Esser (°1979, Maaseik) pursued his musical training at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. In addition to studying piano with Jan Michiels, Benjamin took courses in composition, contemporary music, audio technology and chamber music. In 2004 he studied the piano literature of Messiaen with Håkon Austbø at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. In 2005 Benjamin graduated magna cum laude.

Aside from working as a freelance pianist with various ensembles and orchestras, Benjamin works as an accompanist at the
Royal Conservatory of Brussels and teaches accompaniment at the Academy of Zaventem. Also performing as a solo-pianist, he recorded a.o. piano music by Frank Nuyts in 2003 and 2008. Benjamin is also working with numerous chamber music ensembles, classical as well as non-classical (T i L t E d, NorthFace+, ...).

Except for working as a pianist and teacher, Benjamin also composes music. He already delivered compositions for the
Goeyvaerts String trio, theatre group Bronks, Ensemble Nadar, Kalès Guitar Quartet, Emanon Ensemble, etc. In 2009 Benjamin won the 'Cantabile Composition Contest' with South of Solaris, a composition for piano-solo (level - advanced). The same year, HRDSCR Editions edited a.o. 3 bundles of piano music Degrees of Ability.

Benjamin does not only focus on writing classical music, he keeps on searching for a balanced cross-over between classical and electronical music with EsR-project. As a film composer, he wrote a.o. the score to ‘Cocoon’ and Een Kleine Duw', 2 short-films by respectively Jeroen Bogaert and Philippe Verkinderen. Working together with choreographer Michael Lazic, Benjamin provided several tracks for
Staging Reality, a DancePerformance, coupling an intuitive choreography to 'living' scenery.