Well-versed musician in classical, jazz, rock, folk and world music styles, Ben Katzen is principal cellist of the Odysseus Chamber Orchestra in Denton, and can be heard around the Dallas-Fort Worth area performing, touring and recording with flamenco-fusion ensemble Flamenco y Mas, Latin guitar trio Los Pistoleros, wedding ensemble Serenata Strings, folk singer-songwriter Eddie Lott and many other orchestras and groups.

He has performed in nine countries, and in such esteemed venues in the United States as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He participated in a tribute to the legendary pianist/conductor Leon Fleisher at the 44th Kennedy Center Honors, in a ceremony attended by President George W. Bush and nationally televised on CBS. He has performed under eminent conductors such as Marin Alsop and Jaime Laredo, and in 2011 he performed with faculty members of the “Music in the Valley” Festival in Kfar Blum, Israel.

Ben received his B.M. in cello performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where he was a student of Amit Peled.

He currently teaches middle and high school students in McKinney, Plano and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISDs. A registered Suzuki method instructor, he taught Suzuki cello and co-directed the middle school orchestra in Greenville ISD, Texas for three years, and has been a workshop teacher for Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Suzuki Strings.

Stay in The Know

Visit Irving ...Safely

Plan Your Stay

Stay at One of Our Hotels

View Our Packages & Special Offers