A native of State College, Pennsylvania, Ben Deighton is pursuing his Master of Music degree in cello at The Juilliard School, where he began his studies with Joel Krosnick and continues to study with Zvi Plesser. Ben began playing the cello at the age of five studying with Carol Lyon, before working with Amir Eldan during his later high school years and at the University of Michigan. His studies at UM culminated in winning the SMTD Concerto Competition and performing Kabalevsky’s Concerto in C Minor, Op. 77 with the University Philharmonic orchestra in 2024. Other honors have included winning second place in the 2022 MTNA National Young Artist competition, first place in the Ann Keller Young Soloist competition in 2017 and 2020 playing movements from St. Saëns’ concertos nos. 1 and 2, and first place in the Williamsport Symphony Young Artist competition with Dvorak’s cello concerto. Ben has also performed in masterclasses with Richard Aaron, and Johannes Moser, as well as faculty from the Interlochen Center for the Arts and principals from the Berlin Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Ben’s great passion lies with chamber music, and he spent three formative and inspiring summers at the Kneisel Hall Festival working with his mentors Joel Krosnick and Laurie Smukler, in addition to work there with Dmitry Kouzov, Natasha Brofsky, Raman Ramakrishnan, and Robert McDonald. Other summers have been spent making music with his peers at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Orford Musique, and the Domaine Forget International Music Festival. Additional chamber music coaches have included members of the Juilliard, Brentano, Emerson, Jupiter, and Calidore quartets.

An avid fly-fisherman, when not playing his cello, Ben is usually found exploring the wilds and waters of Central Pennsylvania, communing with the trout. Holding dual citizenship with New Zealand, his future travel plans include a return there to experience the amazing rainbow trout fishing around Lake Taupo and the Tongariro River. Other passions include hiking, birding, riding his horse, and generally spending as much time in nature as possible, and afterwards cooking and enjoying great food!