Benjamin Britten Nocturnal after John Dowland for Guitar, Op 70
Benjamin Verdery, Guitar
Images by Christopher Burke
Concept & Direction by John Olson, Benjamin Verdery
22nd Hawaii Masterclass
Aloha Friends,
I'm thrilled to announce that my 2021 Virtual Hawaii Master Class will occur from Thursday, July 1, to Monday, July 5. I am over the moon to announce that our guest artist this year will be guitarist/composer Laura Snowden. Our schedule will be similar in form to last year’s, including – in addition to lessons – concerts and lectures on a variety of topics. Soon we will be announcing other guests who will be joining us.
We are greatly looking forward to seeing some new faces as well as our dear friends from former classes!
Until then,
Peace, love, guitars, and the 2021 Hawaii Masterclass!
Ben
For details on applying and updated information please go to: benverderyhawaiiclass.com
Guitar Talk - Podcast #4 Feat. Benjamin Verdery (New York)
I was honored to be asked to be interviewed by the wonderful German guitarist Heiko Ossig for his podcast, Guitar Talk. Heiko is a fabulous interviewer and wow did we get into it! If you have a moment and want to listen, I hope you will enjoy some of my ranting and raving! A huge thanks to Heiko for inviting me and putting it all together! Wishing you all much peace, love and yes guitars!!!
Ben Verdery and Friends in two world premiere video concerts
February 12 and April 23, 2021 at 8:00 PM EST
The New York City Classical Guitar Society is proud to present two premiere video concerts featuring Ben Verdery and Friends.
Register here — FREE
These events are benefits for the following organizations; if you choose to donate, you can do so when you register:
World Central Kitchen
Americans for the Arts
Volunteers of America
Program:
FEBRUARY 12
Bill Coulter, steel-string guitar and Ben Verdery, classical guitar
EDDIE VEDDER Rise (arr. Coulter/Verdery)
Simon Powis and Ben Verdery, classical guitars
VERDERY What He Said
Latitude (Craig Peyton, vibes, programming and mixing and Ben Verdery, classical, steel-string, and electric guitars)
PEYTON/VERDERY Deep the Other Side (world premiere)
Video filmed and edited by Craig Peyton
Jack Vees, 8-string bass, bowed bass and 4-string fretless bass and Ben Verdery, various guitars
VEES/VERDERY Don't Think: Look (world premiere)
JIJI and Ben Verdery, classical guitars
JIJI/VERDERY Yesun Leaves the Night and Meets the Morning (world premiere)
Andy Summers, archtop and electric guitars and Ben Verdery, classical guitar
SUMMERS/VERDERY Bream Dream: A Tribute to Julian Bream (world premiere)
Elizabeth Brown, theremin and Ben Verdery, classical guitar with slide
BROWN Atlantis
Video conceived, filmed, and edited by Lothar Osterburg
Ben Verdery, classical guitar
CARULLI The Storm
APRIL 23
Jeff Peterson, steel-string guitar, Ian O’Sullivan, ukulele and Ben Verdery, classical guitar
PETER MOON Guava Jam (arr. O’Sullivan)
Christina Bouey, violin and Ben Verdery, classical guitar
VERDERY Mobile
Ben Verdery, classical guitar
BACH Prelude from Cello Suite No. 6, BWV 1012 (arr. Verdery)
BACH Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV 106 (arr. Verdery)
BACH Allegro, from Prelude, Fugue and Allegro, BWV 998 (arr. Verdery)
Ben Verdery, classical guitar
SEYMOUR BERNSTEIN Searching for a Chorale
Wayne Escoffery, tenor saxophone and Ben Verdery, classical guitar
VERDERY Light Maker (world premiere)
James Taylor, tenor and Ben Verdery, classical guitar
SCHUBERT “Tränenregen” and “Pause” from Die schöne Müllerin
Ettore Causa, viola and Ben Verdery, classical guitar
VERDERY Tibetan Song (world premiere)
Rie Schmidt, alto and C flutes and Ben Verdery, classical guitar
SERGIO ASSAD New York Sketches: I. Greenwich Village, 1966; II. 72nd Street Dakota; III. 92nd Street, Scherzo (world premiere)
An Afternoon with Ben - Nov 15 4pm EST
A special two hour live Zoom event, featuring a virtual concert by Ben, followed by three mini master-classes with local area guitarists performing and receiving instruction.
The event will conclude with a conversation with Ben and a question/answer session.
Not to be missed! $15 admission to receive a Zoom meeting link.
Please visit www.milfordarts.org to reserve your “virtual” seat!
Scenes from Ellis Island
Video by John Olson and Ben Verdery
Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Matthew LeFevre
Simon Powis, Ben Verdery, guitars
Guilherme Nardelli Monegatto, cello
Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, vocals
Thanks to all those past and present who took the extraordinarily powerful photos that make up this video and deepest gratitude to the many who have performed this piece throughout the years.
Amazing Grace
I first arranged Amazing Grace in 1985 for the memorial service of my father, the Reverend John D. Verdery. I revised it to honor the victims of the 9/11 attack in New York City, where I live. This recording was part of my virtual concert for the 2020 Boston Guitar Festival. Now I am dedicating it to all of the courageous protesters of the Black Lives Matter uprisings. My favorite arrangement of this extraordinary song is by the legendary Aretha Franklin on her groundbreaking recording Amazing Grace.
Arrangement: Ben Verdery
Published by Les Editions Doberman-Yppan
Baritone Guitar: Otto Vowinkel
Strings D'Addario
Self Recorded: June 20, 2020 at Chez Vees Studios
Ageless Ardor
Acoustic Guitar Magazine July/August 2020
The week before the COVID-19-mandated social distancing Mark Small at Acoustic Guitar and I had a good long chat about my Scenes from Ellis Island album resulting is this article………..
1 track podcast
1 Track Podcast delves into my Scenes from Ellis Island.
Season Ten, Episode Eleven
Scenes from Ellis Island
CLICK ON IMAGE FOR AUDIO
New Focus Recordings presents Scenes from Ellis Island, the new album from Ben on the Panoramic Recordings imprint. Scenes from Ellis Island contains selections of Ben’s eclectic solo and ensemble music. Verdery's broad sources of inspiration include world music traditions, gospel, pop music, history, philosophy, and virtuosic guitar composition, combining these together in music that resonates with an expansive joy. Guest artists on the album include West African singer Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, guitarist Simon Powis, beatboxer Mark Martin, and cellist Guilherme Nardelli Monegatto. Scenes from Ellis Island will be available for downloading and streaming starting on February 14th from Amazon, iTunes, Naxos, Spotify, Bandcamp & New Focus Recordings.
Press for Scenes from Ellis Island
The music of guitarist and composer Ben Verdery ducks playfully back and forth between serious contemporary strains and pop-tinged vigor, welcoming everything in with the graciousness of a kindhearted host.
San Francisco Chronicle (scroll down page)
Verdery's virtuosity helps distinguish the five performances, which makes for a consistently engrossing recording, regardless of whether he appears alone or with guests….As much of a show-stopper as Scenes from Ellis Island certifiably is, it's hardly the only high point on the release and neither is it the only piece that recommends it.
Textura.org
It is work that evokes both musical and extra-musical associations and does so with a sense of eclectic encompass.
Gapplegate Classical-Modern Review
Scenes from Elllis Island booklet
Purchase Links:
New Focus Records
Bandcamp
Amazon
The music of guitarist and composer Ben Verdery ducks playfully back and forth between serious contemporary strains and pop-tinged vigor, welcoming everything in with the graciousness of a kindhearted host. The five works here are ambitious in scope — one draws from Aristotle, and the title work is a 15-minute collage laden with vocals and allusions to a variety of immigrant musical cultures — yet they retain an ingratiating charm that goes well with Verdery’s virtuosic playing.
In the opening “What He Said,” Verdery and guitarist Simon Powis trade jumpy quasi-ragtime licks and gentle ballad sections. A far-ranging fantasy titled “the rain falls equally on all things” takes its harmonic inspiration from Schubert and its technical language from Leo Kottke. There are surprises around every corner, all of them worth exploring.
San Francisco Chronicle, Joshua Kosman
February 26, 2020
From Aristotle
Aloha Friends,
Happy Belated Father's day to you fathers and well Happy Everything to everyone! I hope this finds you all in great health and spirits and enjoying the beginning of summer.
I wanted to share with you this new video of the piece, From Aristotle. It was co-written with mixed vocalist/beatbox champion Mark Martin. Mark and I have had such a marvelous musical journey writing, performing, recording and finally making this video. We thank all that made it happen.
Wishing you all the very best!
Peace, love, guitars, beatboxing and Aristotle!!
Ben
Music composed by Ben Verdery and Mark Martin
Lyrics from Aristotle's The Poetics
Special thanks for the making of the video goes to Mark Martin, Kaila Mullady, Eben Bull, Christopher Burke, Nicoletta Todesco and Mitsuko Verdery and Nuria Martin Fandos
Ben on Tonebase
Tonebase releases the first of a two part interview……………..
I sat down with David from Tonebase and we had a chat about my exciting, contemporary collaborations with the 2016 American Beatboxing Champion Mark Martin and Andy Summers (of The Police). We also talked about my video productions…………..
Intro Music: Couperin Les Sylvains (Scott Tennant)
From Aristotle (Martin/Verdery)
Bach Cello Suite No. 4 Prelude (BWV 1010)
Villa-Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras No.5
A huge Mahalo as we say in Hawaii for your touching birthday greetings! I so appreciate it!
I have released a new video of Villa-Lobos's masterpiece Bachianas Brasileiras No.5 today https://youtu.be/O4el5_Q7GWA. This arrangement is by the brilliant composer/guitarist Roland Dyens.
Roland was a dear friend who would always write me on my birthday as we are both Libras. He was born in the same year of 1955 but 18 days after me on the 19th. Happy Birthday Roland in advance!!!
I dedicate this video to this musical giant beloved by us all. We miss you, Roland!!!
Thank you for all you gave us!
Grosses Bises!
Wishing you all a wonderful October 1!!
Peace, Love and Guitars!
Tread Softly for You Tread on My Dreams
Happy Thursday Friends!
I'm overjoyed to announce the publication of my piece Tread Softly for You Tread on My Dreams by the wonderful publisher DOBERMAN-YPPAN. Go nuts, go wild order today!
I'm also deeply grateful for the extraordinary artist Lothar Osterburg for allowing us to use his beautiful print for the cover.
Please listen if you have a moment to Jiji's gorgeous interpretation of the piece. Crazy thanks jiji!!!!!!
Thanks to all who made this publication happen and to the various wonderful players that have played it! Huge hugs!
Peace love and guitars!
I am delighted to announce the release of Tom Donahue's book Benjamin Verdery, A Montage Of A Classical Guitarist. Since the time Tom first approached me about the idea of the book until I received it 3 weeks ago, I could not fully imagine what it would be. I was completely intimidated by the idea of it and certainly did not think I was at all worthy. I still don't!
As the deadline approached Tom let me know that my colleagues essays were rolling in and asked me if I would like to read them. I told him that I absolutely did not.
When Eliot Fisk called to say that he wanted to read to me his to get certain facts and dates correct, I informed him of my stance and that I was waiting to read the essays when the book actually was published.
Eliot insisted and I'm grateful to him for doing so. After hearing Eliot's wonderful essay, I realized that the book might have some value beyond being a "tribute" book. I began to think that perhaps the wonderful essays by my colleagues and whatever I was going to write might give people some insight as to what the classical guitar "scene" was at this time. It would serve as a type of document about a slice of the classical guitar world.
It was then that I began writing my own essays on performing, recording, composing and teaching. I wrote right up to the deadline. Writing the essays proved to be quite a challenging but worthy endeavor to say the least. Having no gift for writing, grammar or spelling didn't help!!!
I hope any one who reads this book will glean something from it. It was indeed a labor of love for all who contributed. I remain and will remain profoundly moved by what my friends and colleagues wrote.
I have to thank Tom Donahue for the extraordinary work he did in putting the book together. A huge mahalo and bravo to Tom!!
As always,
Peace, love and guitars!
Ben
Other News.............
I'm happy to say that the Canadian Publishing company Doberman-Yipan released my solo arrangement of Amazing Grace which can be heard on my CD Branches. The next work scheduled for publication is Tread Softly For You Tread on My Dreams.
In the last few weeks I have played at 3 different High Schools who all have wonderful guitar programs led by excellent and very giving guitar teachers. The first one was the Heritage High School in Brooklyn where classical guitarist James Miller leads the program, the next was Bayonne High School in New Jersey where the wonderful finger style player Vin Downes is the teacher and now I am residence at the Wagner High School where Jazz guitarist Joe Maniscalco is the teacher. Both at Bayonne and Wagner, I not only played but got to teach and work with the students in among other things group improvisations.
I will be playing and conducting Joe's students in a final concert on Wednesday June 6.
I must say with all of the world's troubles it has been a joy working with and playing for these students. They are lucky to have inspirational and devoted teachers. The students have all been a joy to play for and to interact with.It is once again a testimony to the importance of music in schools.
After Wagner I'm off to Simon Powis's fabulous class. Check the Where's Ben Page and if you are near come on by!!!
Until the next time!!
Peace, Love and guitars!!!
Instagram: @benverdery
