New York-based jazz violinist, composer, and educator Benjamin Sutin is an eclectic and highly sought-after voice in the contemporary creative music scene, renowned for his versatility across jazz, Latin jazz, world music, and alternative string traditions. A 3rd Prize Laureate of the prestigious Zbigniew Seifert International Jazz Violin Competition (2022) and a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition (2024), Sutin has garnered critical acclaim from DownBeat magazine and was featured on NPR’s Live Sessions for his title composition, "Mr. Inevitable". Enamored by the vocal qualities of the violin from a young age, Sutin began studying Suzuki violin at age five, adding piano shortly thereafter. His artistic path took a pivotal turn just prior to his 13th birthday following an intensive summer workshop with saxophonist Odean Pope at the famed Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz—the only institution at the time willing to accept a violinist into their program. He went on to study privately with legendary jazz violinist John Blake Jr. alongside other Philadelphia luminaries, quickly establishing himself as a fixture on the local scene as both a leader and sideman.

As a bandleader and composer, Sutin has released four albums under his own name, showcasing his expansive musical palate. His most recent release, Mr. Inevitable (MEII Enterprises, 2024), features Ben Rosenblum, Chris Tordini, and Johnathan Blake in a personal exploration of universal human experiences through the lens of jazz, Latin, and world influences. His discography also includes Hard Bop Hanukkah (MEII Enterprises, 2020), recorded live at Rockwood Music Hall with Sam Javitch, Cole Davis, and Evan Sherman, and endorsed by icons like Regina Carter and David Krakauer. Furthermore, Sutin leads the world-fusion klezmer-jazz outfit Klazz-Ma-Tazz, which was described by NY Music Daily as “Epically Haunting Lynchian Klezmer Jazz”. The ensemble has released two albums on OneTrickDog Records—Meshugenah (2018) and their debut Tangibility (2015)—and has performed at major venues across the country, including DROM, City Winery, Cornelia St. Cafe, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, Shapeshifter Lab, and World Cafe Live.

Beyond his projects as a leader, Sutin maintains an active, elite profile as a New York sideman, featured soloist, and collaborator. He is a regular member and featured soloist on three Grammy-nominated albums with Bobby Sanabria’s Multiverse Big Band: Vox Humana, Arsenio and Beyond, and West Side Story Reimagined. His performance credits span premier international stages and historic venues, including Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, The Kennedy Center, Apollo Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), NJPAC, Prudential Center, Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Sony Hall, Dizzy’s Club, the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smoke Jazz Club, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Ravinia Festival, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Sutin’s creative versatility has led to extensive performance and recording collaborations across a wide array of musical landscapes. In jazz and avant-garde, he has performed alongside Jeff "Tain" Watts, Johnathan Blake, Patrick Bartley Jr., Ronnie Burrage, Janis Siegel, Ed Cherry, David Amram, George Burton, Elio Villafranca, Lewis Porter, Don Friedman, Daniel Carter, Chris Tordini, and Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks among others. In the Latin jazz and salsa circuits, he has worked with Chembo Corniel (appearing on Land of the Descendants), Ivo Tirado Jr.’s Bronx Charanga, Joe DeJesus’ Charansalsa, and Larry Harlow’s re-installment of “Hommy - A Latin Opera” at Lincoln Center Out of Doors. His world and klezmer contributions include collaborations with Yale Strom, Zusha, Eli Schwebel, Samir Chatterjee, Idan Raichel, Zhenya Lopatnik, and the National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene’s production of Di Goldene Kale, alongside serving as the resident violinist for Shabbat Services at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ. His crossover and pop work encompasses Grant Calvin Weston’s The Phoenix Orchestra, Middle Eastern ensemble Baharat, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Big Apple Circus (holding the violin chair for the 2022 Lincoln Center season and primary sub since 2019), Indie Rock band TheyThem, Arijit Singh, Banda Magda, and Brasstracks (recording string parts for Kemba and The Underachievers). He has also appeared on screen and contributed to major film sound tracks, including Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride (2026) and Mike Cahill's Bliss (2021).

Sutin’s commitment to performance is grounded in his own rigorous academic training. He holds a Master of Music in Multi-Style Strings Performance from New Jersey City University, where he attended as a Full Tuition Scholarship recipient, and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Violin Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where he received the Presidential Scholarship. Over the course of his education, he was mentored by luminaries including John Blake Jr., Sara Caswell, Regina Carter, Rob Thomas, Christian Howes, Yale Strom, Alicia Svigals, Jeremy Kittel, Dave Eggar, and Joe Deninzon. A passionate educator dedicated to inspiring the next generation of creative improvisers, Sutin serves on the Jazz Violin faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division. In addition to maintaining an active private jazz violin studio, he regularly travels as a jazz string clinician, conducting workshops focused on jazz bowing, swing phrasing, improvisation, and multi-style string integration for young orchestral students.

A proud ASCAP composer and recording artist for MEII Enterprises, Benjamin performs on a Nathanial Rowan acoustic violin fitted with an Eric Aceto Ithaca Stringed Instruments dual pickup system, paired with Lee Guthrie and CodaBow bows, Thomastik-Infeld strings, a Headway EDB-2 Preamp/DI, an AER Compact 60 amplifier, and DPA microphones. For electric performances, he utilizes Mark Wood 5-String Viper and Tucker Barrett 5-String electric violins.