Ben Lively

Ben Lively is a violinist, violist, string arranger and composer based in Shelburne, VT. He has worked extensively in a wide range of styles including rock, jazz, tango and classical music. A versatile musician, Ben is a passionate educator and collaborator equally at home in concert halls and dive bars. 

Born in England and raised in rural Maine, Ben grew up playing classical violin with the Suzuki method at age five. In high school and at Middlebury College he began studying jazz and exploring other styles of violin playing, eventually moving to France to study with jazz violin legend Didier Lockwood. 

Ben spent 15 years working in New York City, much of his time in Broadway pits. He performed in dozens of shows including Hamilton, Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, Frozen, and Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour. Other notable performances include Elvis Costello’s A Face in the Crowd, a week with comedian Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall (featuring The Roots, Erykah Badu, Janelle Monáe and Busta Rhymes), and backing up Dana Carvey on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Since moving north in 2018 Ben has kept busy in Vermont’s vibrant musical scene. He performs with a variety of local groups including the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Skylark (Nordic Folk string quartet), the Dartmouth Symphony, Redhooker (Brooklyn-based electric chamber group), Dwight and Nicole (Soul / Funk), Madaila (Electro-Pop), and The Grift (Rock).

Ben is also on the faculty of the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association and the Middlebury Community Music Center. As a classically trained musician who now plays many different styles, he appreciates a large musical palette and sees the incredible value and the versatility that comes from studying a wide range of music. Whether it’s a classical concerto, a fiddle tune, or a guitar solo from a Led Zeppelin album, the fun is discovering the subtle nuances and the different rules that all these different styles follow. He is primarily a violinist but is excited to work with any student who is interested in studying alternate styles or taking their instrument outside of its traditional role.