www.BenPila.com

Performer Bio

Benjamin Pila is the only classical guitarist that has been chosen to be a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Mr. Pila has performed in Alice Tully Hall, Avery-Fisher Hall and the Kaplan Penthouse in New York City’s Lincoln Center, at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and in Harris Concert Hall in Aspen, Colorado. He has played alongside Bonita Boyd of the Eastman School of Music and Grammy® Award winning artists David and Philip Ying. Mr. Pila was also invited to perform at the 2007 and 2008 September 11th Commemoration Ceremonies at Ground Zero in New York City.

Mr. Pila’s playing has been featured on the Today Show on NBC as well as on the National Public Radio program From the Top. He was awarded ASCAP’s Best Performance of a Contemporary Work and was the Young Artist of the Year in the Florida Chapter of the American String Teacher’s Association. Mr. Pila was the grand prize winner of the Tampa Bay Symphony’s Concerto Competition and has won prizes in the ASTA National Solo Competition, the NFAA youngARTS Competition, and the National Guitar Workshop Solo Competition. In 2002, he was the first guitarist to receive the Ruth Eckerd Hall Scholarship in the Performing Arts.

Benjamin received his Master’s degree from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Sharon Isbin, and his Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University studying under Bruce Holzman. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California under Scott Tennant of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.