Originally trained as a classical saxophonist, composer and sound designer Ben Carey finds himself in a very different world from the one he started in. Now a prolific composer and technologist, Carey spends his time working with synthesis and interactive music software, a progression he finds more natural than it may at first appear.

“As a performer, I learned the discipline of dealing with very fine details,” he explains. “I’m very interested in the small details and how they bubble up. Working on an instrument, having to refine technique and then interpret helps with building music from the ground up.”

Ben Carey standing in front of the Serge 'Paperface' synthesiser.

Ben Carey and the Serge ‘Paperface’ synthesiser. Photo © credit Kristoffer Paulsen

Carey has worked with a host of acclaimed ensembles and musicians including Sydney Chamber Opera, Ensemble Offspring, and the New York-based JACK Quartet. He’s also a lecturer in Composition & Music Technology at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and one half of Sumn Conduit, with vocalist Sonya Holowell.

His work has...