Praised for his “dazzling” (Schmopera) and “perfectly balanced and imaginative” (Dallas Morning News) continuo playing, Dallas, Texas based harpsichordist Brad Bennight performs throughout North America and Europe as both soloist and accompanist. Brad has appeared in performances with the Gőttinger Barockorchester, Dallas Bach Society, Mercury Baroque, La Folia, Orchestra of New Spain, Fantasmi, Texas Camerata, Texas Early Music Project, Harmonia Stellarum, Lumedia Musicworks, Opera Neo, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the American Baroque Opera Company, among others. He has worked under such notable conductors as Ton Koopman, Nicholas McGegan, Ottavio Dantone, Christopher Hogwood, and Jaap van Zweden, and has appeared as collaborator with Lina Tur Bonet, Henning Vater, Paul Leenhouts, Ryland Angel, as well as many others.
As both continuo player and soloist he has toured throughout Germany, Austria, Mexico and South America, and has appeared at early music festivals both in the US, including the Boston and Berkeley Early Music Festivals, as well as at international festivals such as the Misiones de Chiquitos Baroque Music Festival (Bolivia) and the Cervantino Festival (Mexico).
After earning his BMus in Piano Performance at the University of Oklahoma, he went on to receive a master’s and doctorate in Harpsichord from the University of North Texas where he studied with Lenora McCroskey and Christoph Hammer. He has served on the faculties of Baylor University, the University of Central Oklahoma, and the University of North Texas where he maintained the nation’s largest Harpsichord studio. His students have been accepted to renowned institutions around the globe to further their early keyboard studies, among them - Juilliard, Stony Brook, the Royal College of Music, and the Royal Conservatory of the Hague.
Because of Brad’s passion for teaching, he has presented masterclasses at various institutions throughout Texas and Oklahoma, and through La Follia Austin’s outreach program “Bach for Young Musicians”, introduced the harpsichord and gave lessons to a group of young students focusing on the Inventions of Bach.
Brad also has extensive experience as an ensemble leader and conductor. He was founder and director of La Novella Baroque Ensemble (2005-2010), has served as guest director of various ensembles throughout the country, and was Assistant Conductor of the American Baroque Opera Company and Opera Neo.
He can be heard on the Centaur label in the world premiere recording of the Exercises sur le Clavecin, a collection of six large scale Suites for harpsichord by Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780) who was, according to Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, his father JS Bach’s favorite student. Additionally, Brad appears on the Dorian label with the Orchestra of New Spain in Masses by the 18th century Spanish composer Francisco Courcelle. Further recordings of early English virginal repertoire as well as keyboard music from the Castell Arquato manuscript (16th century Italian) are planned for the near future.
In addition to his work as performer and teacher, Brad is also active throughout Texas and Oklahoma as a specialist in harpsichord repair and maintenance, with over 25 years of experience in the field, for private individuals, churches, musical ensembles, and academic institutions. More information about these services can be found at the link.
