Performer Biography

Benjamin Mekinulov, nineteen, started his cello studies at the age of six with Professor Feng Hew, continued his studies with Professor David Ying, and is now studying with Dr. Melissa Kraut at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Ben has been chosen to participate in all Erie County and NYSSMA music festivals since 2012. In the summer of 2018 and 2019 Benjamin attended the Bowdoin Music Festival in Maine; also having attended the Buffalo Suzuki and Bravo Workshop. In both 2019 and 2020, Ben placed first in the New York State School Music Association Festival in Rochester, New York  where the best musicians of NY state meet for a four-day festival. Additionally, Ben was principal cellist of the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra from 2016-2019, also winning concerto competition in 2019 and subsequently performing the Elgar Cello Concerto alongside the orchestra. Additionally, Ben has won the first prize in the Erie County Music Scholarship Auditions, The Amherst Symphony Scholarship Competition, The Friends of BPO Scholarship Audition, and the Silverman Scholarship. In 2020, he was accepted into the highly competitive National Youth Orchestra that performs at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This most recent summer, Ben attended the Colorado College Festival and Sitka Music Festival.