an evening of world premieres

The tenor, native of Youngstown, Ohio, has performed locally in his hometown and internationally from the Caribbean Islands to Estonia. Recently, Benjamin performed in the world premiere of Iphigenia by Wayne Shorter and esperanza spalding, and went on to make his Kennedy Center debut with said opera. In past years, he has appeared in Florentine Opera’s Il barbiere di Siviglia and Roméo et Juliette; Lakeland Opera's Cavalleria Rusticana; Chicago Opera Theatre’s King Roger; Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre’s Madama Butterfly and The Enchanted Forest; Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company’s Merrie England; Folks Operetta’s Die Kathrin and The Flower of Hawaii; Transgressive Theatre-Opera’s Comte Ory; Indianapolis Opera’s productions of La raviata and South Pacific; and Opera Western Reserve's La bohème and Il barbiere di Siviglia.

Benjamin studied abroad in Milan, Italy for vocal performance and opera. While he was there, he gained proficiency in the Italian language and progressed his musicianship level. He joined a professional concerto chorus and performed works such as: Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem and George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. He studied with Patrizia Zanardi and Il maestro Vincenzo Manno, at Fondazione IES Abroad Italy and Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado. He performed weekly with chamber ensembles at various venues like Casa di Riposo per Musicisti, a home for retired opera singers and musicians founded by Giuseppe Verdi himself. Benjamin was awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship that allowed him to have this invaluable experience.

Recently, he was a First Prize Winner of the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, with an invitation to perform at the Kammermusiksaal of the Berlin Philharmonie in Germany. His additional honors include awards from the American International Music Competition, European Virtuoso Music Awards, International Mozart Competition Vienna, Montpelier Arts Center Recital Competition, and the Charleston International Music Competition.

Benjamin is pursuing his Professional Diploma in Opera at Roosevelt University CCPA. He received his M.M. Vocal Performance degree under the study of Mark Crayton at Roosevelt University. He graduated from Anderson University with a B.M. in Vocal Performance in the studio of Dr. Fritz Robertson.