BALLARAT-born Benjamin Northey has been appointed to one of the highest conducting positions in Australia.Mr Northey will soon take up the position of associate conductor with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, which places him in the company of some of the world’s best conductors.From an early age Mr Northey’s passion and talent for music was clear. He picked up a violin at the age of five and was experimenting with arranging music on a computer when he was about 10 years old.His talent was harnessed under the expert teaching of Graeme Vendy and Barry Currie at Ballarat & Clarendon College, after which Mr Northey moved to Melbourne to further his studies.After graduating with first-class honours in performance and a Masters degree in conducting from the University of Melbourne, Mr Northey continued his training overseas, spending three years in Finland and a year in Sweden.In 2001 he was awarded the Symphony Australia Young Conductor of the Year award and made his professional debut in 2003 by conducting Beethoven’s Symphony No 6 Pastoral with the MSO .He’s since performed with orchestras from all over the world, including the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and London’s Southbank Sinfonia.Mr Northey said he was thrilled with his appointment and was keen to start working with the MSO.“It’s an honour and a privilege to be associated with the outstanding musicians of the MSO and I’m looking forward to working with the whole MSO team over the next three years,” he said.Mr Northey’s father, Bob, who is the president of the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra, said his son’s appointment was well deserved.“I’m very pleased that his talent and hard work has been recognised,” Mr Northey said. “It certainly is a prestigious appointment.”