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| Benjamin Verdery |
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Benjamin
Verdery has been described by Guitar Review Magazine as "An American original;
an American master." Since his 1980 New York debut with his wife, flutist Rie
Schmidt, he has led an exciting and varied musical life. His recordings
include: Bach: Transcriptions for Guitar (GRI); The Mask (New
World Records) performing Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Romancero Gitano, Op.
152 for chorus and guitar; Reverie: French Music for Flute and
Guitar (Schmidt/Verdery Duo, Sony Classical); John Williams Plays
Vivaldi (Sony Classical) performing Vivaldi’s Concerto in G
Major for Two Mandolins; Some Towns and Cities (Sony Classical),
Ride the Wind Horse: American Guitar Music (Sony Classical) and The
Enchanted Dawn (Schmidt/Verdery Duo, GRI). Benjamin has also been a
featured artist on two recent releases for the Windham Hill label. In 2001,
Benjamin Verdery will release Ben Verdery Ufonia (with his ensemble of
the same name), and Soepa: American Guitar Music (a follow up to Ride
the Wind Horse).
As a performer, Benjamin Verdery has performed in many countries, including the International Guitar Festival in Havana, Cuba; Festival International de Agosto, Caracas, Venezuela; Theatre Carré in Amsterdam; Chichester Cathedral, England; Bad Urach Schubert Festival in Germany; the 92nd Street Y, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Opera, New York and the Ambassador Theater in Los Angeles. He has recorded and performed with such diverse artists as Frederic Hand, Leo Kottke, Anthony Newman, Jessye Norman, Paco Peña, Hermann Prey and John Williams. He regularly gives flute and guitar concerts with the Schmidt/Verdery Duo and with his ensemble Ufonia (guitar, flute, oboe, bass, percussion) and Bill & Ben (William Coulter, Benjamin Verdery, guitars). Mr. Verdery has had several composers write music for him, including Daniel Asia, John Anthony Lennon, Ingram Marshall, Anthony Newman, Roberto Sierra, Van Stiefel and Jack Vees.
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As a composer, Benjamin Verdery does do not see such a clear division between popular music and classical music, between chamber and ethnic music or jazz, further developing the American music tradition. Many of his compositions have been performed and published in recent years. Workshop Arts published the solo works from his recording Some Towns and Cities. The recording includes fifteen original compositions, and won the 1992 Best Classical Guitar Recording in Guitar Player Magazine. In 1996, John Williams recorded Mr. Verdery's duo version of Capitola, CA for Sony Classical. Benjamin’s Scenes from Ellis Island, for guitar orchestra, has been extensively broadcast and performed at festivals and universities in America, Canada, New Zealand and Europe and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet performs it on their CD Air and Ground (Sony Classical).
Since 1985, Mr. Verdery has been the chair of the guitar department at the Yale University School of Music. Mr. Verdery also heads the Guitar Department at the Purchase College Conservatory of Music. Benjamin Verdery is in great demand as an instructor, teaching classes at the Paco Peña Centro Flamenco in Córdoba, Spain, the Classical Guitar Festival of Great Britain at West Dean, England, the National Guitar Summer Workshop in Connecticut, and his annual summer master class on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Workshop Arts (distributed by Alfred Music) has released Mr. Verdery’s book, Easy Classical Guitar Recital as well as his instructional video The Essentials of Classical Guitar (nominated for Best New Instructional Video by Music and Sound Retailer, 2000). For three years, Benjamin has been the Artistic Director of the Yale Guitar Extravaganza, a one-day guitar conference featuring guitarists and artists in concert and lectures.
Mr. Verdery uses D’Addario Strings and guitars by Christopher Carrington and Greg Smallman
Mr. Verdery is
represented by:
GAMI/Simonds, Inc.
24 Church Hill Road, Washington
Depot, CT 06794, USA
tel: 860-354-5295 fax: 860-354-5298
web:
www.gamisim.com