newMUSIC – Ben Lahring

Ben Lahring will be presenting a set of recent compositions for solo classical guitar as part of the New Music Series at the Asylum for Art. Ben’s own compositions range from programmatic to minimilistic timbral explorations and will be paired with pieces by fellow Canadian composers William Beauvais and Tova Kardonne, as well as Martin Bresnick’s stunning suite “Joaquin is Dreaming”.

Born in Canada and raised on the tropical northern coast of Australia, Ben has lived a nomadic life and called many cities home.
His formative years were spent in Darwin, Australia, where he studied guitar with Stephan Bulmer at Charles Darwin University. Considering a career in church music, he moved to Sydney to earn his Bachelor of Music at Wesley Institute. During this time he studied classical guitar with Philip Moran and maintained a weekly performance residency at the Castlereagh Boutique Hotel. He also studied voice and choral conducting, and taught a course on music technology at his alma mater.

On completing his undergraduate studies, Ben moved to New York City. Over the next few years he taught and performed regularly across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and New Jersey. In 2012, he worked with Dave Hedin of Metrolight Music to record his album, “My Stage”.

At the end of 2012 Ben moved to Canada, where he spent the next eight years working in church music in Calgary, Edmonton and Hinton. As music director and worship pastor, Ben regularlyled worship services and choir rehearsals. He is currently completing his Master of Music at the University of Calgary, where he studies guitar with Ralph Maier and is employed as a teaching assistant for the University Chorus and undergraduate musicianship classes.

Over the last couple of decades Ben has performed classical recitals, gigged with soul singers and rock bands, conducted orchestras and choirs, and played weddings, birthdays and funerals. Through it all he’s taught countless guitar lessons in schools, studios and private residences, doing everything he can to share the joy of music and fan to flame the creative spark that lives in each of us.