Ben Bolt was playing lead guitar in rock bands at the age of 12 and performed professionally at 16 in Miami. After high school, Ben left his band to study classical guitar in Spain. At the age of 19, he studied with Andres Segovia in Madrid. Andrés Segovia, the father of the classical guitar, said, "Ben Bolt is an excellent guitarist with fine tone." Segovia personally paid for a scholarship so that Bolt could continue his studies at the Musica en Compostela, which Segovia founded. Later in Paris, Ben Bolt sought out and studied with Abel Carlevaro, one of Segovia's students, who continued to teach Bolt in Brazil at the International Guitar Conservatory. There, under full scholarship, Bolt was introduced to more Segovia information and, equally importantly, to the Carlevaro school of technique. During the next several years he went on to Montevideo, Carlevaro's home town, and complete his music studies under the direction of Maestro Carlevaro and Guido Santorsola, the distinguished Italian composer and conductor. Carlevaro invited him to attend the 1974 International Guitar Seminary in Brazil under full scholarship. In that same year Ben won the coveted Merit Prize as Outstanding Student at the First International Masters Class in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Bolt is credited with being an innovator in introducing thousands of new people to the classical style of guitar through his videos and books, which use a revolutionary format of learning. In the past, guitar students needed to learn to read music at the same time they were learning to play the guitar, which was complicated. Since the publication of Bolt's book/recording packages, beginners are able to play immediately. The tablature, using lines and numbers to show where the notes are on the fretboard, and the recordings, which are rhythmically self-explanatory, empower all students to play. Because of his vision of making classical guitar accessible to all kinds of musicians, the classic guitar is being experienced by the masses.
Andrés Segovia, the father of the classical guitar, said, "Ben Bolt is an excellent guitarist with fine tone." Segovia personally paid for a scholarship so that Bolt could continue his studies at the Musica en Compostela, which Segovia founded. Later in Paris, Ben Bolt sought out and studied with Abel Carlevaro, one of Segovia's students, who continued to teach Bolt in Brazil at the International Guitar Conservatory. There, under full scholarship, Bolt was introduced to more Segovia information and, equally importantly, to the Carlevaro school of technique. During the next several years he went on to Montevideo, Carlevaro's home town, and complete his music studies under the direction of Maestro Carlevaro and Guido Santorsola, the distinguished Italian composer and conductor.
Several Ben Bolt books have become best sellers. His Anyone Can Play the Classic Guitar Video has become a reference for college students as the authority on basic fundamentals concerning classical technique. He also appears in Mel Bay's video of the Modern Guitar Method Grade One, a hugely successful publication.
Ben currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee where he teaches all styles of guitar. He is also Professor of Guitar at Carson-Newman College. He believes anyone can play the guitar well, provided they have these three ingredients: a good instrument, a knowledgeable teacher, and music that holds the student's interest. Bolt's work is distributed internationally and has been featured at the yearly NAMM show (National Association of Music Merchants) in California, as well as the International NAMM show in Germany. His influences include Mel Bay, the Beatles, and Segovia.
