Ben Krasner is an interdisciplinary sound artist, instrument builder, and pianist. Their work is playful, guided by a childlike curiosity and a desire to stretch the senses. Their material practice involves hand-building Ceramic Percussion Objects, incorporating found objects, and folding them into their electroacoustic process: open source electronics, field recording, synthesis, and various time-based systems. Composing under the name ‘leshy’, they explore echolocation, diffused temporality, feedback, queerness, ripples, rocks, and texture. They aim to develop a language that allows them to integrate the shapes and patterns that are replicated in nature, circuits, and psyche.
They reside and work in the Santa Cruz mountains as an educator (Rivendell Music Academy), community and arts organizer (SubRosa Community Space), a/v technician (Indexical), gallery manager and preparator (MAH, Minnow Arts), and freelance arborist. They run an experimental arts and education collective called SCUM (Santa Cruz Underground Music), frequently collaborate in a number of projects, and co-curate numerous events with local and international artists, such as Andrew Moses, Michael Masaru Flora, Matt Robidoux, Tatsuya Nakatani, Michelle Moeller, Anna Friz, Nathan Cleavenger, and many more. They play in a duo project with Caleb Gomes called “Poor Clares”.
Krasner has received degrees in Piano Performance from California State University Northridge (BA, 2016), Yale University (MM, 2018), and Curtis Institute of Music (Artist Diploma, Post Grad 2020).
Contact:
(310) 733 9996
benkrasner1@gmail.com