ORI BEANSTOCK
Ori Beanstock is a musician, composer, and guitar designer. Born in Israel in 1965 he started to play the guitar at the age of ten. He developed his musical skills in this multicultural environment. In 1983 he started Esta, a band that combines Western and Eastern musical influences using numerous musical instruments from different parts of the world. Between 1991-1997 Ori lived in New York with the band, composing music and performing. During that time, Esta performed often in NYC in a wide variety of clubs and venues moving throughout the local music scene. The band also toured coast to coast in the US, playing in festivals, and theatres and running workshops as a part of various and innovative educational programs in schools, colleges, and universities. In 1998 Esta performed at the White House in Washington, DC for a special event in honor of former U.S. President, Bill Clinton. While residing in NYC, Ori was introduced to the lap steel guitar and the squareneck dobror and began studying both instruments. Recently, he started manufacturing both 6 and 8-string lap steel guitars. Other than the guitar, Ori plays a variety of ethnic string instruments such as Greek Bouzouki, Turkish Saz/Baglama, and Sazbush whose diverse qualities play a leading role in his compositions. In addition to music, Ori devotes time to painting and teaching art. He exhibits his work regularly and gives workshops on drawing and painting.