From the Top: Violinist Benjamin Beilman

Benjamin Beilman has emerged as one of the classical world’s fastest rising stars, winning accolades in both North America and Europe for his passionate performances and deep rich tone. He plays on an 1809 Stradivarius kindly loaned by a private patron.

In 2017-18 season he performed with Detroit, Houston, Oregon, North Carolina and Indianapolis Symphonies as well as touring throughout California with Orchestra St Luke’s for performances and programming work.

Early Life and Education

At age five, Beilman started violin lessons with husband-and-wife teaching couple Almita and Roland Vamos from Michigan. To attend his lessons he had to travel four hours each way between Ann Arbor and Chicago – eventually being accepted into the highly exclusive Curtis Institute of Music.

He received several prestigious accolades while at school, such as a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship and an Avery Fisher Career Grant from Avery Fisher. Furthermore, he studied under renowned teachers like Ida Kavafian, Pamela Frank and Christian Tetzlaff who guided his development throughout.

Beilman has quickly established himself on the international concert scene as an emerging star. He has made orchestral debuts with both the San Francisco and Philadelphia Orchestras, along with Montreal’s L’Orchestre Metropolitain de Montreal; also appearing with London Philharmonic and Frankfurt Radio Symphony orchestras in Europe.

Professional Career

Benjamin Beilman has quickly made his mark internationally as a young violinist with his stunning virtuosity and effortless style. A former 1st prize winner at Montreal International Violin Competition, he has since received multiple accolades including Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship and Avery Fisher Career Grant awards.

His career encompasses performances with orchestras across North America and Europe as well as recitals at prominent halls such as Carnegie, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Louvre (Paris), Concertgebouw and Bunka Kaikan. Additionally he featured on a ten city recital tour through Australia; Spectrum was his debut recording for Warner Classics which was released later that same year.

John performs on a 1709 “Engleman” Stradivarius on loan from Nippon Music Foundation. He has returned to perform with Yannick Nezet-Seguin at Philadelphia Orchestra subscription concerts and as a regular guest artist at festivals like Music@Menlo, Marlboro Chamber Music Festivals and Seattle Chamber Music.

Achievement and Honors

Beilman has performed as soloist with orchestras including Detroit, Houston, Oregon and North Carolina Symphonies as well as Orchestra St. Luke’s; on a multi-city California tour he programmed and play-directed for New Century Chamber Orchestra; as well as his European debut with Rotterdam Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony and Zurich Tonhalle under conductors such as Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and Hans Graf.

Beilman is an accomplished chamber musician, performing regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center both locally and on tour as part of their CMS Two roster. Additionally, he often appears at music festivals like Music@Menlo, Caramoor and Marlboro, Santa Fe and Seattle Chamber Music Festivals as a guest artist.

Personal Life

Benjamin Beilman hails from Western Springs, Illinois. Currently attending McCulre Junior High School there, where he studies violin. When not studying violin he enjoys playing video games and reading books as well as listening to music with friends.

At the 2010 Montreal International Musical Competition, he won First Prize. Widely lauded for his passionate performances and deep rich tone, Strad magazine described his Sibelius Concerto slow movement performance as “pure poetry.”

Beilman has appeared at major recital and chamber music venues throughout North America and Europe, such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Wigmore Hall. Additionally he frequently performs with Yekwon Sunwoo from Curtis Institute as piano collaborator; they regularly use Yekwon’s 1709 “Engleman” Stradivarius kindly provided by Nippon Music Foundation on loan for performances together.

Net Worth

Beilman began studying violin at five, making his From the Top debut as part of the Bay Chamber Trio at just thirteen. His early violin instruction came from Almita and Roland Vamos – husband-and-wife teachers of violin – followed by Ida Kavafian and Pamela Frank at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music.

He currently plays the “Engleman” Stradivarius from 1709, graciously loaned by the Nippon Music Foundation.

Recital highlights have included performances at Boston Celebrity Series concerts and Shriver Hall Concert Series as well as Marlboro, Music@Menlo and Seattle Chamber Music festivals. He premiered “Demons”, composed for him by Frederic Rzewski to honor political activist Angela Davis with pianist Orion Weiss at both Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. He made US concerto debuts with Portland, Oakland Oregon Indiana Symphonies before performing multi-city playing-directing tours in California with New Century Chamber Orchestra.