About Benjy Wertheimer
Benjy Wertheimer is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Ancient Future world fusion music ensemble. An award-winning musician, composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist (playing tabla, congas, percussion, esraj, guitar, and keyboards), Benjy has toured the US, Canada, Europe, Central America and Japan, and has opened for such artists as Carlos Santana, Paul Winter, and Narada Michael Walden. He now tours and records regularly with such artists as Krishna Das and Deva Premal.

Beginning his musical studies at age 5 (starting with piano and later studying violin and flamenco guitar), Benjy received his training in Keyboard Improvisation at the University of Colorado and Composition and Ethnomusicology at the University of Washington. He has studied Indian classical music for over 20 years with some of the greatest masters of that tradition (including Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan and Z. M. Dagar).

For over five years, Benjy scored music for the internationally syndicated NBC series Santa Barbara. He has recorded with numerous A&M, Windham Hill, Narada, Nippon Phonogram, and Rounder recording artists. His new CD Circle of Fire has recently been featured on Echoes, heard on over 170 public radio stations around North America, and was #1 on the international New Age radio charts in November 2002. He has recorded music for commercials for several international clients (including Master Card and The Nature Company). Benjy was also a contributing composer and member of the Zakir Hussain Rhythm Experience (along with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead).