Born in London, he studied with Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatoire during the second half of the 1970s and emerged in his early twenties as a surprisingly mature and confident voice. Fulfilled a number of large commissions in the 1980s including Ringed By The Flat Horizon and At First Light (for orchestra) and Antara (for ensemble and electronics, realised at IRCAM).
Benjamin's music owes much to the Manchester School of composers (including Alexander Goehr, with whom he also studied), and is colourful and sometimes even flambouyant in style, but governed by an overriding seriousness. It also has a directness that has ensured a reasonably constant stream of commissions, and although there is nothing groundbreaking in Benjamin's work his dedication to craft and expressivity make him an important figure in contemporary musical life.