Mark Small at Acoustic Guitar
Ageless Ardor Guitarist/composer/teacher Benjamin Verdery has taken the eclectic road BY MARK SMALL enjamin Verdery inhabits his own festivals throughout the U.S., Canada, (Wisconsin State University), Kim Perlak exclusive territory in the classical guitar Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and (Berklee College of Music), Michael Nicolella B world. Among the virtuosi of the Baby Asia. In addition to his prodigious work as a (Cornish College of the Arts), Matthew Rohde Boomer generation, it’s not hard to make a case solo recitalist, a partial list of his collabora- (Kithara Project), Scott Borg (Montgomery that Verdery has explored the most diverse tors includes guitar titan John Williams and College), and more. musical terrain. The repertoire on the 15 albums classical flutist Rie Schmidt (Verdery’s wife), The week before the COVID-19-mandated in his catalog ranges from works by masters such 12-string expert Leo Kottke, former Police social distancing, the ever upbeat and gregari- as Bach, Strauss, Mozart, and others, to the most guitarist Andy Summers, Celtic guitarist ous Verdery couldn’t mask his enthusiasm for adventurous composers of contemporary classi- William Coulter, new age composer/key- Scenes from Ellis Island, his latest album of cal landscape. He has also made five albums boardist Craig Peyton, mixed vocal artist original music, during a wide-ranging conversa- featuring his own works and his arrangements of Mark Martin, and hip-hop singer Billy Dean tion in his teaching studio at Yale’s Leigh Hall. songs by Prince, Jimi Hendrix, traditional folk Thomas. Classical guitarists such as Williams, tunes and hymns, musical settings for Buddhist David Russell, the Assad Brothers, and the RAIN, ELLIS ISLAND, AND ARISTOTLE texts, and more.
[Show full text]