"I started playing on D'Addario strings exclusively in 1980. I have been fortunate enough to witness and experience the company's rise to excellence under the brilliant guidance of Jim D'Addario and his team. D'Addario strings and their various innovative products have played a critical role in helping me better serve the music I have made and continue to make."
Benjamin Verdery
Artistic Director, Art of the Guitar, 92Y, New York
"The EJ46 are still my go-to strings....perfect intonation, feel and exemplary durability. I recommend these to everyone as the best classical guitar string on the market."
PRODUCTS Benjamin Verdery USES
About Benjamin Verdery
Described as "iconoclastic" and "inventive" by the New York Times, guitarist Benjamin Verdery enjoys an innovative and eclectic musical career. Verdery has given concerts at the International Guitar Festival (Singapore), the Festival International de Agosto (Caracas), the Schubert Festival (Germany), the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, and elsewhere.
Among the composers who have written works for him are Ingram Marshall, Jack Vees, Martin Bresnick, Ezra Laderman, Christopher Theofanidis, and Roberto Sierra. Verdery's own works have been performed by such artists as John Williams, Sergio and Odair Assad, David Russell, and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.
As a recording artist, Verdery has released more than fifteen albums, all available on Amazon. His recording Start Now (Mushkatweek) won the 2005 Classical Recording Foundation Award.
Highlights of 2018-2019 include the world premieres of Searching for a Chorale by Benjamin's mentor Seymour Bernstein (published by Doberman-Yppan) and Quintet for High Strings by Bryce Dessner for guitar and string quartet performed with the St. Lawrence String Quartet at Kaufmann Hall (92Y) in New York. In June 2018 the book Benjamin Verdery A Montage of a Classical Guitarist was published by Hamilton Books (edited by Thomas Donahue).
Ben is in his 34th year as guitar professor at the Yale School of Music, his 12th year as Artistic Director of 92Y's Art of the Guitar series and 2019 will be the 20th year of his Maui Summer Master Class. Ben is also now the Artistic Director of the Connecticut Guitar Festival.
Benjamin Verdery uses D'Addario strings and guitars by Garrett Lee and Otto Vowinkel and Greg Smallman.