Benhur Mosazghi Gezehey

Born into a family of athletes in one of the most isolated and conflict-ridden nations on the planet, Benhur was always attracted to western music and languages. He discovered his love for Opera at age 4 via cartoon programs, and started performing at the age of 18 with a music project that was comprised of self-motivated and mostly self-taught young Eritrean classical musicians in Asmara. He met American Voices during an American Music Abroad Tour in 2018, and after John Ferguson posted video of his singing on social media, he immediately received invitations to study in a summer program in Italy.

He came to the United States as an AV Scholar in late 2019 and leveraged his talent into generous  scholarship to attend Oberlin Conservatory as a music major studying under the tutelage of Salvatore Champagne. In 2020, he won 3rd Prize in the College Singers Competition of Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis. Benhur’s opera performances in the U.S. Menotti’s ‘Amelia al Ballo’ and Handel’s Acis & Galatea with the Oberlin Opera Theater and as Simone in Puccini’s ‘Gianni Schicchi’ with the Janeic Opera Company at Brevard Music Center. Benhur aims to become a professional opera singer, and support cultural exchange and enrichment between African and Western cultures and their peoples.