Ben Cottrell is a composer, educator, bandleader and saxophonist currently based in Manchester and is best known as the musical director of Beats & Pieces Big Band. As an orchestral arranger, Ben has worked with and for a diverse range of artists including Laura Mvula, Esperanza Spalding and Goldie, and his arrangements have been performed and recorded by world renowned orchestras such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orkest and The Heritage Orchestra. He is a lecturer at the Royal Northern College of Music and Leeds College of Music.