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Benjamin Verdery, guitarist/composer

Benjamin Verdery (born October 1, 1955, Danbury, CT) is an American classical guitarist and composer. Benjamin Verdery is the son of John Duane Verdery (1916-1985, headmaster of Wooster School 1943-1976) and Suzanne Aldrich Verdery (1920-2003).

Early Life, Influences & Teachers

While living in France in 63-64 when his father was given a sabbatical, Benjamin had his musical awakening when he heard The Beatles’ I Saw Her Standing There. Verdery began playing the guitar at age 9 and his first informal teacher was a friend of his brother’s, Jeffrey Stout, who had a profound effect on his playing and musical outlook – his first mentor. Other informal teachers at this time included David Achelis and Russ Muma (the Music Guild, Danbury, CT) who taught him jazz improvisation. Along with The Beatles, Verdery’s early musical influences include Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers, Procol Harum, Sly & The Family Stone and Yes. At the Harvey School (1966-1970) Verdery formed the trio Still Meadow with Jared Bernstein, bass (celebrated economist) and John Marshall, drums, performing all original music. The trio opened for John Mayall and the Blues Breakers in 1974. It was Verdery’s first performance in a large venue with an audience. During his years at Wooster School (1970-74) he had several bands, always playing original material, with one a seminal relationship was formed with drummer turned vibraphonist, programmer, producer, Craig Peyton. In 1973-74 he met harpsichordist/organist/composer Anthony Newman and on a visit to Dartmouth College heard a classical guitarist for the first time. He soon began formal lessons with Philip De Fermrey. While at SUNY Purchase (1974-1978) Verdery studied with Anthony Newman and Frederic Hand, who remains a coach, and took summer master classes with Leo Brouwer. Since1978 Verdery’s primary coach has been Seymour Bernstein.

Career

At SUNY Purchase Benjamin Verdery met flutist Rie Schmidt and formed the Schmidt/Verdery Duo. The duo gave their New York City debut December 8, 1980, sponsored by the J. D’Addario Company. The duo married in1979 and continue to perform and record. Verdery became an endorsee of the J. D’Addario Company in 1985 and a career long friendship with Jim D’Addario.

Since 1980 Benjamin Verdery has toured throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, performing at venues, festivals and with orchestra and chamber ensembles.

As a recording artist, Benjamin Verdery has released more than 17 albums and been a featured performer on many others. He has recorded and/or performed with such diverse artists as Andy Summers, Frederic Hand, William Coulter, Leo Kottke, Anthony Newman, Jessye Norman, Paco Peña, Hermann Prey, John Williams, hip-hop artist Billy Dean Thomas, beat box/vocal percussionist Marc Martin and Nano Stern.

As a composer, many of Verdery’s compositions have been performed, recorded and published over the years. Among the artists who have commissioned works by Verdery are Sérgio and Odair Assad, David Russell, Scott Tennant, David Tanenbaum, John Williams and John Etheridge, the GRAMMY award winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, The Chilean Guitar Ensemble, and Thomas Offermann and the Hochschule for Music and Theatre (Rostock, Germany). Verdery also provided the score for the documentary film Corida Goyesque. Doberman-Yppan (Canada) currently publishes his solo and duo works for guitar and Alfred Music distributes the solo pieces from Some Towns & Cities as well as instructional books and video.

Many composers have created music for Verdery, including Martin Bresnick, Bryce Dessner, David Leisner, Hannah Lash, Ingram Marshall, Anthony Newman, Aaron Kernis, Christopher Theofanitis and Jack Vees.

In 2004 the Yale University Music Library commissioned Ingram Marshall’s Dark Florescence for classical and electric guitars. Benjamin Verdery and Andy Summers premiered the work at Carnegie Hall with the American Composers Orchestra February 23, 2005.

Since 1985 Ben has been guitar professor at the Yale School of Music, Artistic Director of 92Y Street Y’s Art of the Guitar series since 2007 and producer of his Hawaii Master Class  since 1999. Ben is also an Honorary Board Member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Benjamin Verdery uses D'Addario strings and guitars by Garrett Lee and Otto Vowinkel.

Discography

Solo

Bach: Two Generations - Concertos For Guitar & Chamber Orchestra (1983 Musical Heritage Society)

Ride The Wind Horse - American Guitar Music (1991 Newport Classic / Sony Classical)

Bach: Transcriptions for Guitar (1994 GRI Music) (originally released by Sine Qua Non 1983)

Soepa - American Guitar Music (2001 Mushkatweek Records)

Branches (2006 Mushkatweek Records)

Ben Verdery Guitar Project—On Vineyard Sound (2016 Elm City Records)

Original music

Some Towns & Cities (1991 Newport Classic / Sony Classical)

Ufonia EP (1994 Mushkatweek Records)

Ufonia (2002 Mushkatweek Records) with John Marshall, Keith Underwood, Vicki Bodner, Harvie Swartz

Start Now (2006 Mushkatweek Records)

Scenes from Ellis Island (2020 New Focus Recordings)

Duo Collaborations

Latitude (1986 Earth Flight Productions) with Craig Peyton

Latitude 40 North (1987 Earth Flight Productions) with Craig Peyton

Reverie - French Music For Flute & Guitar (1986 Newport Classic / Sony Classical) with Rie Schmidt

Emotional Velocity (1989 Sonia Gaia Productions) with Craig Peyton

The Enchanted Dawn (1998 GRI Music) with Rie Schmidt

Song for Our Ancestors (2002 Solid Air) with William Coulter

First You Build a Cloud (2007 R.A.R.E. Records) with Andy Summers

Happy Here (2011 Mushkatweek Records) with William Coulter

Featured                    

John Williams Plays Vivaldi Concertos (1991 Sony Classics)

Legends of the Classical Guitar (1991 Rhino)

The Romantic Handel (1996 Helicon Classics)

The Mask (1998 New World Records)

A Celtic Christmas (1998 Windham Hill)

Winter Solstice (1998 Windham Hill)

Bassoon Brasileiro (2004 MSR Classics)

A Guitar for Elvis (2010 Solid Air)

Publications

Some Towns & Cities: The Solos, Alfred Music Publishing (1994)

Easy Classical Guitar Recital, Alfred Music Publishing (1998)

The Essentials of Classical Guitar, Alfred Music Publishing (1989

Awards

Some Towns & Cities, Guitar Player Magazines Best Classical Guitar Recording (1991)

Start Now, Classical Recording Foundation Award (2005)

Education

1974-1978 SUNY Purchase, Purchase, NY

1970-1974 Wooster School, Danbury CT

1966-1970 Harvey School, Katonah NY

Books

Benjamin Verdery – A Montage of a Classical Guitarist, Thomas Donahue, Hamilton Books, ISBN/9780761870371

Articles

Interview, Christopher Mallet, Classical Guitar Magazine, Summer 2016 issue, No. 382

Interview, by Mark Small, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, July/August 2020 issue

External links

Official site: http://www.benjaminverdery.com

Discography: http://www.benjaminverdery.com/discography

Videos: http://www.benjaminverdery.com/videos

Hawaii Master Class: http://www.benverderymauiclass.com/