When you meet Ben, ask him… How did it happen that the first time he conducted an orchestra concert was in Carnegie Hall? Not being a vegetarian, how did he end up as the faculty advisor for the TSU Vegetarian Club?
Bio
Dr. Benjamin Grube is a full-time faculty member at Texas Southern University, serving as Director of Orchestras, Upper-Strings Instructor, and String Area Coordinator. He has also been teaching seminars and music education courses at TSU since 2016.
Currently, Ben performs as a core violinist with ROCO and the Symphony of Southeast Texas, and substitutes with the Houston Ballet Orchestra. He has previously performed with the Greenville (SC), Hendersonville (NC), and Lubbock Symphony Orchestras and served as an orchestra director at Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School for five years where he had the opportunity to conduct the students in Carnegie Hall.
Internationally, Ben presents annual solo recitals in various venues in Spain and has given solo and chamber performances in Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Mexico, and Honduras. Since 2011, he has served on the faculty, as both conductor and violinist, of the Encuentro Anual de Cuerdas music festival in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In Mexico, he taught and performed at the Allegra Festival Internacional de Música and has collaborated with the University of Veracruz music faculty, teaching lessons and masterclasses.
Ben believes that music unlocks vast potentials in people of all ages, stages, and walks of life. In addition to working closely with the Houston Youth Symphony, he is involved in classical music outreach programs and serves as a clinician at multiple schools throughout Houston. As a strong advocate for healthy living, he has hosted yoga and meditation sessions, specifically
tailored for musicians to help handle performance anxiety, the physical demands of rigorous practice, and mental stress.
Ben earned his D.M.A. in Violin Performance with a minor in viola from the University of Houston, M.M. from Texas Tech University, and B.M. from Furman University. Influential teachers during his studies included Dr. Kirsten Yon, Wayne Brooks (viola), William Preucil, Dr. Thomas Joiner, and Andrea Farolfi.
When Dr. Grube is not teaching or practicing, you can find him running on the bayou, attending a yoga class at a local studio, experimenting in the kitchen, or catching up with friends under a tree at Menil Park. Fun side note, the concert shoes Ben has worn for every concert since age 16 were actually his grandfather’s shoes that were passed down to his dad and then to him.
