Ben Thomason
Principal 2nd
Ben relocated to Fort Collins in 2022, and became a member of the Fort Collins Symphony in 2023. He is also been a member of the Cheyenne Symphony and the Greeley Philharmonic, and previously performed with the Mid-Texas Symphony, the Laredo Philharmonic, the Santa Monica Symphony, and the Walla Walla Symphony.
Ben grew up in the Boulder Suzuki Strings program, studying with renowned Suzuki pedagogues Dr. William Starr and Amy Gesmer-Packman. He went on to earn a B.A. in Violin Performance from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, and Master of Music in Violin Performance from California State University, Northridge.
Ben serves as the Orchestra Librarian for the Fort Collins Symphony, Larimer Chorale, and Laudamus Chorale, procuring and preparing every piece of music, for every musician, for every concert!Ben is a compassionate and focused violin teacher, with over 15 years of teaching experience and training in Suzuki Violin in Units 1-10 with master teachers Liz Arbus and Cathy Lee. Ben has served as Director of the Texas Lutheran University Community Music Academy, a program of over 250 strings and choral students, teaching both a large private studio and orchestras for the program. He has also lived in China for 5 years, is fluent in Mandarin, and taught Suzuki violin at Seed Music Academy in Hong Kong. Ben is available for hire for Suzuki or traditional violin lessons for students of any age and ability level. To inquire, please contact him through his website at www.thomasonstudio.com.
Get to know
Where are you from?
Born & raised in Boulder, Colorado.
How did you first get started playing?
My older sister Eliza started Suzuki violin lessons when I was just 1 year old… in not too long I was running around the teacher’s studio singing the music myself, and she said I’d better just have a violin put into my hands as well! With my older sister’s passion and dedication as an example (she is now Director of Strings at Texas Lutheran University), I simply grew up thinking that learning to play violin was something kids were supposed to do 🙂
What’s your favorite thing about playing your instrument?
Violin is great because of the vast range of sounds it can produce which lead to some really interesting and powerful music, and it is also the instrument with probably the most (and best?) solo music written for it. Maybe we have to ignore piano for that to be true, but… I am biased. I simply love how the instrument (including the bow!) has been designed and developed over centuries to perfect the sound of a bowed string, that it can produce its own overtones and hold its own against an entire orchestra.
What do you like to do outside of music?
Camping, skiing, backpacking, hiking, biking, tabletop strategy games, science fiction literature.
Why is music important to you?
Music that is important takes performers and listeners on a compelling journey through the emotional and psychic realms of humanity and nature.