Ben Batalla

Ben Batalla offers a distinguished musicianship with a versatile background in jazz, classical and sacred music traditions. He has been described as a “take-charge artist” (The Palm Beach Post) and has been acclaimed for his unique programmatic choices and advocacy for presenting diverse musical styles. He earned degrees from Tulane University and Texas State University, and he studied sacred music at the Catholic University of America. During his early career, Ben was acknowledged in “The Best Student Musicians of 2013” as part of Downbeat Magazine’s Student Music Awards. Since then, Ben has pursued an active competition career, having won top prizes at the colOrchestra Competition, the Gulf Coast Steinway Society, and the Orfeo Music Festival Competition. Ben has performed with the New York Chamber Players, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra, and the New Orleans Chamber Orchestra. He has given recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Ben is also active in sacred music as the Director of Music Ministries at the University of Texas Catholic Center. He is a collaborative composer with the Vigil Project. Ben aims to integrate all aspects of his musicianship to give listeners an opportunity to encounter a beauty that is transformative. He believes in the transformative power of beauty and desires to use art as a means of reminding his listeners of their inherent dignity and worth.