Welcome to the official website of violist Benjamin Beck

An award-winning artist, Benjamin Beck is regarded as one of the finest violists of his generation. He performs as principal viola in renowned orchestras and is a regular guest at prestigious festivals. He is an exceptionally versatile and explorative musician, which he expresses through his innovative arrangements and research projects to explore connections between classical music and various other art forms.

Benjamin's most recent project is his arrangement of Wagner's opera Lohengrin for string sextet, which premiered in the Richard Wagner Museum Bayreuth on 28 August 2020, the 170th birthday of the original opera. This work includes Lohengrin's most beautiful and impressive moments in a chamber music format. The concert tour of this project has already received praise from the audience and presses in various cities of southern Germany. Another recent work is his arrangement of Janacek's masterpiece - "The Cunning Little Vixen" into an innovative art form named by him as a "musical tale", which was funded by the French Ministry of Culture in the year 2019.

International Press:

“Benjamin Beck, with his impetuous and magical playing … beautiful phrasing and elegant interpretation … provoked tears of his Basque audience and a standing ovation”
— Sud-Ouest, France

“…wonderfully touching and expressive interpretation…a flexibility and soloistic virtuosity making a long-lasting impression…”
— Volksfreund, Germany

“…a young musician with a generous and profound sound, powerfully embedding plentiful warmth and roundness…”
— 新潟日報モア, Japan

Benjamin has toured across the world and performed solo, chamber music, and concerto repertoire in the most renowned venues, including the Berlin Philharmonie, Paris Philharmonie, Paris Salle Pleyel, Munich National Theatre, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Geneva Victoria Hall, New York Carnegie Hall, and Tokyo Yamaha Hall. He performs regularly at various prestigious festivals, including the Bayreuth Festival, Verbier Festival, and Yellow Barn. He has collaborated with the most inspiring artists of the time, such as violinists Christian Tetzlaff and Midori.

Playing music is an immense privilege and joy. It can speak directly to the heart of each person: music does not need words. I seek the most sincere and direct routes to express its unspeakable emotions and feelings and to communicate with the audience in the voice of music.

To fulfill this passion and making my viola a voice of its own, I am continually exploring new experiences and possibilities in performing, creating and sharing. It is a wonderful chance to be able to share my music with the world and bring these deep sentiments to life.”

Benjamin Beck

Engaging in performing, creating and sharing classical music to the broader public...

Benjamin Beck is actively creating new content and looking for innovative ways to engage with his audience. This rich perspective is a great way to define his musical identity. It consists of many projects, researches and collaborations, which transform his interactions with the public into intense and personal moments. Through the years, Benjamin developed various projects, keeping a clear focus on expression and narration.

The CD is an exploration of the relationship between the viola and voice. Benjamin attempted with the purpose to answer the questions “what makes the viola such a close instrument to the human voice?”, and “How to tell a story only with music?”

Benjamin Beck’s transcription works turn into the dreamlike performance that blurs the boundaries of the musical genre, where sublime music and fantastical storytelling at times follow one another, and at other times intertwine.