Ben Fryxell is establishing himself as a consummate cellist, at home in the worlds of solo performance, chamber music, and orchestra. Since his teenage years, he has been a regular presence on the concert stage and a frequent winner of awards and competitions. He has performed as a soloist with the Kentucky Symphony, Blue Ash-Montgomery Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, and more. 

Ben is especially interested in the potent social commentary and novel ideas of contemporary music. In April, 2022, he performed Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s “Canto di Speranza” with Matthias Pintscher and the New World Symphony. Recognizing his commitment to new music, the Tanglewood Music Center invited Ben to be one of their New Fromm Players during the summer of 2022 and 2023, focusing on works composed in the past few decades. 

Ben’s main role is as Associate Principal Cello of the Jacksonville Symphony. He has served in that position since September of 2022, and was granted tenure by Music Director Courtney Lewis in 2023. Before joining the Jacksonville Symphony, Ben studied with Natasha Brofsky at the Juilliard School, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree, and with Yeesun Kim at the New England Conservatory of Music for his Master of Music. He continued his training thereafter as a Fellow of the New World Symphony. 

Ben is also a skilled pedagogue. In 2020, he created an online cello course for adult beginners, which has been purchased by over 1000 students. He has also taught extensive private lessons, including online lessons as part of New World Symphony’s partnership with the Iberacademy in Medellín, Colombia, and has been a Teaching Artist for the VIA Academy. Also interested in the inner workings of music, he was a Teaching Assistant for the theory department at Juilliard during his undergraduate studies. A proficient pianist, he later taught keyboard harmony at NEC while pursuing his masters degree. 

When he’s not engaging with music, Ben enjoys cooking, computer programming, and watching stand up comedy.