Benjamin Myers Site Gemini Piano Trio Site |
Emotional power, sparkling technique,
and a burnished tone are the qualities that have made Benjamin Myers an
audience favorite. The New Yorker magazine said of a concert with the Hartt
Symphony in Alice Tully Hall, "The best soloist was the first cello, Benjamin
Myers, who added a romantic line to the duet." Music Monthly said
of another performance that he was "riveting and delightful to behold."
At the age of nineteen, Benjamin Myers took top prize in the 1987 Emerson String Quartet Competition which resulted in a guest appearance as the cellist of that quartet. Since then he has performed as soloist and chamber musician in halls from San Diego to Boston. Highlights of the 1999-2000season included performances at the French Embassy in Washington, the Thomas Jefferson Estate in Virginia, and Myers's debut in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, under the auspices of the La Gesse Foundation. As a founding member of the nationally acclaimed Gemini Piano Trio, he has taken top prizes in competitions such as the 1997 Baltimore Chamber Music Awards and the fiercely competitive 1997 Chamber Music Yellow Springs National Competition. The Gemini Piano Trio has recently released a first CD featuring music of Ives and Brahms on the AW label. Benjamin Myers is also a respected performer of new music, having worked directly with internationally recognized composers such as Lou Harrison, John Corigliano, and John Harbison, preparing performances of their works. Myers has also appeared as principal cello of many orchestras, including the Aspen Concert Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore, and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Benjamin Myers has the distinction of being the first person ever to earn a doctoral degree in cello performance from the highly selective program at the New England Conservatory where he also earned his master's degree. He earned a bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) from the Hartt School of Music. He has studied with David Finckel of the Emerson Quartet, and soloists David Wells and Colin Carr. He has also played in master classes for cellists such as Steven Doane and Yo-Yo Ma. |