Ben Shute

American-born violinist Benjamin Shute teaches violin, chamber music, and composition at the University of St Andrews (Scotland). He has performed internationally as concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, director, and leader of ensembles including the Boston Chamber Orchestra. Publications include the book Sei Solo: Symbolum? The Theology of J. S. Bach's Solo Violin Works (Pickwick/Wipf & Stock) and various scholarly performance editions of Bach's works, including reconstructions of the lost D-minor violin concerto BWV 1052R and incompletely surviving D-major sinfonia BWV 1045 (PRB Productions), a critical edition of the virtuosic G-minor fugue for violin and continuo BWV 1026 (PRB), and a senza ripieno transcription of Bach's C-minor concerto BWV 1060R (Prima la Musica). His compositions and other settings have been performed at the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music and by ensembles including Brandywine Baroque, Oklahoma Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, and the Boston Recorder Orchestra. Other compositions, transcriptions, editions, and historically informed cadenzas are available on IMSLP.

Prior to moving to Scotland he held full- and part-time university posts at US institutions including Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Baptist University, Dickinson College, and Cairn University. Graduates of his violin studio have gone on to win titled chairs with the Tulsa and Amarillo Symphonies, found the Oklahoma Baroque Orchestra, and pursue further study at institutions including Manhattan School of Music, Rice University, Northwestern University, and CU-Boulder.

After early studies with Lee Snyder, he received a BM and DMA from the New England Conservatory and a Diplom KA from the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, where his mentors included Rainer Kussmaul, Lucy Chapman, and Masuko Ushioda, with other formative influences from Bernhard Forck and Robert Hill.

Blog Posts

2016: Oct.