Guitar Review describes Benjamin Verdery 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, from performances with baritone Hermann Prey to a walk on in Othello at The Met. His recordings include Bach: Transcriptions for Guitar (GRI), Reverie: French Music for Flute & Guitar (Newport Classic), Ride the Wind Horse: American Guitar Music (Newport Classic) and Some Towns and Cities (Newport Classic), the last two containing music written for or by Benjamin Verdery, as well as his highly acclaimed arrangements of two Jimi Hendrix songs. Sony Classics has acquired Verdery's catalog from Newport Classic and will re-issue these recordings. His most recent CD is the Schmidt/Verdery Duo's recording, The Enchanted Dawn, released by GRI in July, 1998. To be released during 1999 is a solo recording as well as a CD of Verdery's ensemble Ufonia.

      As a performer, Benjamin Verdery has appeared throughout the world, including the International Guitar Festival Havana, Cuba; Festival Internacional de Agosto, Caracas; Theater Carre, Amsterdam; Wigmore Hall, London; the 92nd St Y and the Metropolitan Opera, New York; and the Ambassador Theater in Los Angeles. He has recorded and performed with such diverse artists as John Williams, Hermann Prey, Paco Peņa, Leo Kottke, Frederic Hand and Anthony Newman. Benjamin regularly gives concerts with flutist Rie Schmidt (Schmidt/Verdery Duo) and his ensemble Ufonia (guitar, bass, flute, oboe, percussion).

      When not performing, recording or teaching Benjamin Verdery is a prolific composer. Workshop Arts (distributed by Alfred Music) has published the solo works from Verdery's recording Some Towns and Cities. The 1992 recording includes fifteen original compositions, and won the 1992 Best Classical Guitar Recording from Guitar Player Magazine. Benjamin Verdery is currently arranging his Some Towns & Cities for chamber orchestra. Verdery's Scenes from Ellis Island, for guitar orchestra, has been extensively performed and broadcast and was released the fall of 1998 as a single (with the Curtis H.S. Guitar Ensemble). Windham Hill has also released Verdery's composition, Song before Spring, on its CD Winter Solstice. Benjamin Verdery has had chamber and choral works commissioned by the New Jersey Chamber Music Society and Cabrillo College. At the request of guitarist John Williams, Verdery transcribed his solo composition, Capitola (from Some Towns & Cities), for two guitars, subsequently released on Williams' CD The Mantis and the Moon with guitarist Timothy Kain (Sony Classics).

      The Frederick Harris Music Company has published The Verdery Guitar Series, a two volume set featuring contemporary American solo repertoire, compiled and edited by Benjamin. Of the publications, Classical Guitar Magazine states "consistent with every project Ben Verdery is associated with this is an excellent collection of works, each exhibiting an individual voice and style."

      Since 1985, Benjamin Verdery has been chair of the guitar department at Yale University. He is in great demand as an instructor, teaching classes at the Paco Peņa Centro Flamenco, Cordoba, Spain; the Classical Guitar Festival of Great Britain; the National Guitar Summer Workshop, CT; CSU Summer Arts, CA and the Mount Holyoke Summer Guitar Seminar (MA) with Phillip de Fremery. In 1989, Workshop Arts released Benjamin Verdery's very popular instructional video, The Essentials of Classical Guitar.

Visit his web site: http://www.gamisim.com/benv.htm

"Mr. Verdery seemed to have all the talent and skill to put him in the first rank of today's guitarists." — New York Times	"Verdery's hands move with a fluid ease that is beautiful to see and even more beautiful to hear." — The Milwaukee Journal
"Here is a musician who knows what he wants and where he wants to go, and has the fiery technique to get him there. This kind of music making is exhilarating." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch	"Benjamin Verdery is without a doubt a great guitarist possessing an astonishing technique." — Cordoba Times (Spain)
"Verdery is one of the most persuasive advocates of new guitar music, both as skilled arranger and instigator." — Billboard
"This is unquestionably the finest playing of Bach I have ever heard on six strings. If it's the only recording you buy this year, you shouldn't regret it; if it isn't, it should be one of them, no matter how few they may be." — Guitar Magazine