Ben's Life
Introduction
‘The best review I ever got was not from a music critic, but from my father. He was 94 years old at the time and completely blind. He attended a Master Class I gave in London and sat there in his wheelchair for about three hours. When it was over, I went to speak with him. He lifted up his finger in his characteristic way and said, “I see that you are actually a member of the healing profession.” It seemed to me the highest accolade.’
This is the place within the Benjamin Zander Center to dig deeper inside the stories and the people who have contributed to Ben’s remarkable life. In the first instance, there is a substantial amount of information about Ben’s father. Over time, more information about a variety of people and places significant to Ben will be added.
Dr. Walter Zander
'He was a true scholar with a scholar’s love of depth of learning'
— Michael Zander
Read EssayBen’s Father: Dr. Walter Zander
The day after my father died, I passed one of my students in the hallway of the New England Conservatory. “My father died yesterday, “I said. “Suddenly tears welled up in her eyes. “But you didn’t even know him,” I said. “Oh yes I did,” she replied. “We all knew him through you.”
And so it is. Everyone who knows me knows my father. His wisdom, his stories, his humorous anecdotes are an intrinsic part of my life and the life of my students.
“”Do you miss your father?” a friend asked many years after his death. “Never,” I replied. “Do you ever think about him?” “Every day.”
-Benjamin Zander
