Friday Music Series: Ben Bolt, Classical Guitarist

Artist Biography

Armed with a plywood classical guitar his brother had given him, a Spanish/English dictionary stowed away in his jeans back pocket, and a dream; Ben Bolt set sail for Spain when he was seventeen. His goal was to study with the "Father of Classical Guitar," Andrés Segovia.

It would take this boy nearly three years to turn his vision into reality. First, he would have to work hard and prove himself with his first teacher in Spain, Jose Luis Rodrigo, Segovia's assistant.

On his eighteenth birthday while registering for the Vietnam War draft, at the United States Embassy in Madrid, his destiny magically appeared before him. Sitting just two meters away was maestro Andres Segovia. Segovia was waiting to sign his visa papers to enter America for his celebrated annual tour. Ben naturally introduced himself.

All of Ben’s sacrifice would soon be rewarded in Madrid, His dream finally intersected with reality. At nineteen, out of his own pocket, Segovia bequeathed a full scholarship for Ben to continue his international music studies at Musica de Santiago, Spain. The following Spring, Ben headed to Paris to meet Abel Carlevaro to learn more about his technique because Segovia only taught music interpretation.

Impressed with Ben’s enthusiasm, Carlevaro invited him to study under full scholarship at his yearly Master Classes held in Porto Allegre Brazil. Bolt now decided to make Montevideo, Uruguay his new home. Bolt completed music studies under the direction of maestro Guido Santorsola at the "Escuela Normal de Musica".

Along with Walt Disney, Luciano Pavarotti, and Shinichi Suzuki, Ben Bolt is the first guitarist inducted into Delta Omicron as a National Patron. He won first place in the "Concurso Internacional A.E.M.U.S." by unanimous decision held in Montevideo Uruguay. Columbia Music published his first publication, Valses Poeticos by Enrique Granados. The San Francisco Conservatory of Music invited Ben Bolt to assist maestro Carlevaro in his debut in North America. Medaled with the St Andrews Cross, Ben Bolt is a knight of the Ducal Order of the “Cross of Burgundy”. Composers have also written original works for him.

Abel Carlevaro awarded him the coveted medal, "Premio al Merito" at the National Library of Montevideo. Ben also was included in Carlevaro's biography entitled, "Un Nuevo Mundo de la Guitarra". For 25 years Ben Bolt served on the Faculty of Carson Newman University.

Mel Bay Music Publishers Inc., the foremost publisher of guitar instructions in the world, credits Ben Bolt with being the first guitarist ever to introduce the classical guitar to the masses using notation, tablature, and the recording format, in the same package. Ben Bolt has inked numerous bestsellers for his achievements with Mel Bay and Cherry Lane. Ironically, his most notable students are not classical but in major rock bands. Brian Bell, lead guitarist of "Weezer" and Brian Vohdin, drummer of "Ten Years" who began as a guitar player. His endorsements include Takamine Guitars, D'Addario Strings, etc.

Host or Publisher Georgetown University Dept. of Performing Arts