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Violinist Benjamin Brookstone, 18, from Bethesda, MD, is a senior at the Walnut Hill School (Natick, MA), where he studies with Yuri Mazurkevich through the New England Conservatory (NEC). Previous studies and mentoring were with Zeno and Natasha Bogachek of the National Symphony Orchestra, where he was a youth fellow. Benjamin, who has performed on NPR’s “From the Top,” won 2nd prize at the Concertino Prague International Competition, 1st prize at the Johansen competition, and 1st Prize at the Russian-American virtuoso competition. He has appeared nationally with several Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania orchestras. Benjamin has performed at Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center, the Canadian and Ukrainian Embassies, and the Boston Convention Center in an Inaugural performance for Mass. Governor Deval Patrick. Charitable work includes performances at nursing homes and a recital at age nine at the World Bank to benefit the children of Kosovo refugees. Benjamin has studied chamber music with Paul Katz and the Borromeo string quartet and has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Anna Balakerskia, and members of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras. He has participated in master classes with Ani and Ida Kavafian, Midori, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Donald Weilerstein, and Charles Castleman. Now, in only his second year of orchestra, he is a first violinist of the NEC Youth Philharmonic. He was previously a member of the Maryland Classic Youth Philharmonic, where he earned a certificate for outstanding performance. Benjamin has performed at several summer festivals including Meadowmount, Encore School for Strings, and the Heifetz International Institute. He performed Luis Spohr’s
Violin Concerto #8 in a minor, Opus 47, on a violin made by Raymond Melanson in Boston, MA, 1996.
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