Ben was born to a family of working musicians in Seattle, Washington. Having discovered the guitar in his teens, he eagerly began jazz and classical guitar studies.
Wishing to further develop and solidify his classical technique and musicianship, he moved to Milwaukee to work with the illustrious Cuban guitarist Rene Izquierdo. While working with Maestro Izquierdo, he took home 1st Prize at the 2016 Schubert Club Guitar Competition.
Since receiving two degrees in classical guitar performance, he has been an active performer and teacher in the greater Milwaukee area, making a name for himself as a versatile and prolific performer in classical music, jazz, and gypsy jazz.
He currently teaches classical guitar at the Latino Arts Strings Program
Scott Hlavenka's Gypsy Jazz is a high-energy mix of swing, bossa nova, and gypsy samba rhythms. Channeling Django Reinhardt with a modern twist, this combo brings a special energy to each performance with grooves rarely heard anywhere else!
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