Cellist Benjamin Gates both composes music of his own and arranges the work of others. Gates has performed at the White House, the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, and the Swedish Embassy. He has also served as a guest artist and teacher at the KIPP DC School and at various schools throughout Maryland. Gates has been playing the cello since he was four years old. He honed his craft with the DC Youth Orchestra, where he became the principal cellist. A graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, he continued on to Hampton University in Virginia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music. Gates is an active performer throughout the mid-Atlantic, playing wherever an audience can be found, from the metro to the concert hall.