Ben Prince is an award-winning music director, pianist, and singer based in San Francisco. Since moving from his native Indianapolis in 1999, he has established himself as a versatile performer and musical leader in the Bay Area theatre scene. Whether working with professional actors or first-time performers, he combines technical excellence with an encouraging spirit that brings out the best in those around him.
Perhaps best known for his work with Ray of Light Theatre since 2005, Ben has shepherded numerous acclaimed productions including Jesus Christ Superstar and Little Shop of Horrors, both earning Theatre Bay Area awards. Ben has also music directed for many of the Bay Area's premier theatre companies, including San Francisco Playhouse, Berkeley Playhouse, and Center REPertory Company, where he won a Shellie Award for Altar Boyz. Career highlights include playing keyboards for Wicked at the Orpheum Theatre, serving as initial music director for the immersive theatre piece The Speakeasy, and arranging and recording the tracks for the immersive EDM Rocky Horror Show, returning to the OASIS nightclub for the fourth time in Fall 2025. Most recently, he music-directed the Bay Area premiere of the Ride the Cyclone at San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre Centre, which was such a hit that the show is being remounted in Summer 2025.
A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory in composition, Ben began his musical journey at age 4 and started performing professionally as a teenager. He has built a diverse career that spans theatrical productions, piano bar entertainment, and extensive work on cruise ships, performing throughout the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Alaska for lines including Holland America and Carnival. Ben is also one of the house pianists at San Francisco's legendary Martuni's piano bar, where he's played for over twenty years.