Fred Benedetti was born in Sasebo, Japan and began playing the guitar at age 9. In 1986 he was one of 12 guitarists chosen worldwide to perform in the Master Class of Andrés Segovia at USC where Guitarra Magazine wrote, "...Fred Benedetti amazed the audience with his performance of the (Bach) Chaconne..." He has also been a performer for the master classes of Pepe Romero, Christopher Parkening, Federico Moreno-Torroba, George Sakellariou, and David Grimes. Fred has performed in the United States, England, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Canada, Taiwan and Mexico and locally with the San Diego Symphony, the San Diego Opera, the Starlight Opera, the American Ballet Company, the Old Globe Theatre, Luciano Pavarotti, and jazz artist Dave Brubeck.
Presently he is a full-time professor of music at Grossmont College where he is chair of guitar studies, and is head of the guitar faculty at San Diego State University with George Svoboda , Robert Wetzel and Celin Romero. Fred is listed in the prestigious "Who's Who Among America's Teachers-2002" and received an "Outstanding Faculty Award" in 2001 from SDSU, the "NISOD" Excellence in Teaching award from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992 and an "Outstanding Chair" award in 1990 from Grossmont College.
Equally at home playing classical music or contemporary music, he records on the SBE label and Domo Records with five noted ensembles: Camarada (chamber ensemble), Keltik Kharma (a celtic band), The Odeum Guitar Duo; given the honor by the magazine, Acoustic Guitar, as being one of the ten best independently produced guitar CDs for the year 2000, "Blurring the Edges" a recipient of the 1994 San Diego Music Awards "Best Pop-Jazz" album of the year featuring jazz musicians Peter ,Tripp, and Hall Sprague, and the acclaimed Benedetti/Svoboda Guitar Duo.
As a BMI affiliated composer, Fred has written numerous contemporary pieces for the international CD library company Network Productions and as a studio musician for 25 years his playing is featured on over 100 CD's, numerous movie soundtracks, and TV commercials. He has shared the stage with Art Garfunkel, Mason Williams, Eric Johnson, Albert Lee, Doc Watson, Dan Crary, Doyle Dykes, Basia, Michael Franks, Mark O'Connor, Michael Hedges, and Ottmar Liebert, and has recorded with Willie Nelson, Juice Newton, Paul Overstreet, Patty Loveless, Tom Barabas, Big Mountain, Matthew Lien, Ronny Robbins and William Lee Golden. He has performed for dignitaries such as Ravi Shankar, the King & Queen of Malaysia, Mikhail Gorbachev and President Jimmy Carter.
Fred performs on guitars built by Miguel Rodriguez, Jose Ramirez, Simon Marty, James Goodall, Robert Hein and Bob Taylor. ..
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Hey Mr. Benedetti, I made your show on March 1st (today), that was awesome. Very inspirational. And can I just say that was the perfect encore, when that woman asked for Classical Gas I got super exited, it's one of my favorites. Thanks for being so awesome.
Hey Fred. Thanks again for writing that recommendation letter for me!!! I can't believe Im going to Korea for a year!!! (at least, the pay is gonna be pretty good) Well, you know by now I always pack up and leave somewhere after being in San Diego too long, hahah, I leave at the end of February, but I'll give you a call before I go, enjoy the rest of your break!
