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Born in East-Berlin, Eva Beneke was drawn to music via her father´s guitar collection.
At age 3, to appease her wishes for a keyboard instrument, her parents gifted her a tiny red toy-piano.
Her music studies started with a foundation in theory and performance of classical music, complemented by weekly escapades as guitarist and song-writer for the pop/jazz band “Colores de Mellow”, a formation that survived its member´s teenage years by a few and led to some local fame in the distric of Berlin-Pankow.


Eva went on to successfully study classical guitar at the Berlin University of Arts. Lateron, the mentorship and friendship of one of Germany’s most influential guitarist, Thomas Müller-Pering, sparked a deep love for chamber-music and a fascination with higher education. During those years at the “Franz Liszt-Hochschule” in Weimar, the days consisted of endless practice sessions, long nights of arranging art-songs by Schubert and Bach-Suites to the guitar, sight-reading marathons with other musicians and the satisfaction of denying the existence of a world outside the practice room.

Eva moved to Los Angeles in 2007, where she then learned the ins and outs of entrepreneurial musicianship. Armed with the curiosity of a child that grew up behind the Berlin wall, one suitcase, two guitars and a doctorate with honors from the University of Southern California, she started crafting what is now a career that rests on three pillars: performance, education and artistic research.


What makes this musician stand out is her openness to many art forms and pathways of music and art. Seminal musical encounters with guitarist Scott Tennant, rapper Dessa, country-singer Carrie Underwood or the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra are part of her ever-growing portfolio. A tested performer, accompanist, arranger and musical partner she nurtures her many musical interests while staying true to her instrument, the classical guitar.

With five records under her belt, including a NAXOS-release of 19th century Spanish music for voice and guitar (2017, with mezzo soprano Nerea Berraondo) she is an internationally sought-after chamber musician.


A passionate educator, Eva has taught music to every age-group from kindergarten to seniors. Her experience spans from beginning guitar classes in crime-ridden South Central L.A. to installing a classical guitar study program at McNallySmith College of Music in St. Paul, Minnesota. Since 2018, Eva Beneke serves as Associate Professor of guitar at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. She lives in Berlin with her family.

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Dennis Tolz - Luthier
Kiel, Germany

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Netzwerk Gitarre Berlin
Berlin, Germany

D´Addario Strings