Ben Lougheed
Guitarist, educator, and entrepreneur Dr. Ben Lougheed has been described as “an emerging force in the classical guitar world” due to his solo performances and lectures around the country, his selection as the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, and his founding of the Florida Guitar Festival. Ben has also been praised for his “beautiful” and “extremely precise” playing, which has been featured on several radio and television programs.
On top of that, Ben is, at his heart, a teacher. He maintains a studio of over 30 private students in Tallahassee, FL and is in demand as an instructor by students across the country. Ben served as a graduate teaching assistant under the legendary pedagogue Bruce Holzman, and helped start the Lessons Academy at Leon High School to work with high-achieving guitar students. His pupils have been selected for the All-State and All-National ensembles, and have won prizes in competitions. Ben also earned a certificate in Music Education and Leadership along with his Doctor of Music from Florida State University.
Always the educator, Ben includes informative and interactive elements in his concerts, which include recent engagements at Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor, MI and the Dale Mabry Guitar Series in Tampa, FL. . Additionally, he organized dozens of community engagement performances in diverse venues including churches, hospitals, public schools, and restaurants to share the music of the guitar with as many people as possible.
Ben is also passionate about entrepreneurship. During his time as a student at FSU he raised over $65,000 for guitar-related projects such as guest artist residencies, travel to conferences for students, and the Florida Guitar Festival. Ben was also one of the co-founders and artistic directors of the Tallahassee chapter of Classical Revolution. Under his leadership, the organization gave more than 30 concerts that showcased the talents of over 150 different performers and became a fixture in the Tallahassee music scene.
In 2018, Ben was recognized for his entrepreneurial efforts by being one of only two musicians selected for the Knight Foundation’s inaugural Tallahassee Arts Entrepreneurs Institute. In addition to this, Ben was also invited to the University of Florida to speak on music entrepreneurship in November of 2019. .
With his musical and entrepreneurial background, Ben decided to produce his own album, and successfully released his debut recording, Baroque Legacies, in August of 2019. The CD features arrangements of works by three great Baroque composers alongside more modern pieces written for the guitar that were influenced by these brilliant musicians. It has been hailed as “an inspiration,” “perfectly performed,” “technically superb” and “emotionally delicious from start to finish.”
Ben plays on a handmade double top guitar by German luthier Antonius Muller.