Benjamin Haden Ray is a trumpeter, scholar, community leader, and Master of Divinity Candidate at Yale Divinity School. Originally from Asheville, North Carolina, he began playing trumpet at age 11 and now holds a Master of Music from The Juilliard School. Ben also holds a Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College, where he studied as a Donal C. Plott Music Scholar in addition to completing a minor in Religious Studies.  

Ben’s major teachers have included Christopher Martin (New York Philharmonic), Raymond Mase (The Juilliard School), Dr. William Lawing (Davidson College), and Alex Wilborn (Charlotte Symphony). In addition to regular freelance engagements, Ben’s recent performance experience includes The Juilliard Orchestra, The American Brass Quintet Seminar, National Orchestral Institute and Festival, and Taipei Music Academy and Festival. He has also written and performed numerous original arrangements of film music and contemporary classical music in a variety of solo and chamber music settings.

At Davidson, Ben was a winner of the 2018 and 2022 Davidson College Concerto Competition, and served as co-president of Episcopal Student Fellowship, Davidson Mindfulness, and Better Together Interfaith Fellowship. Ben is the recipient of numerous grants, supporting several independent projects in performance and research.

At Yale Divinity School, Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and Berkeley Divinity School (the Episcopal Seminary at Yale), Ben is pursuing theological education as he discerns an interdisciplinary vocational calling in music and reconciliation. Outside of academic and musical pursuits, Ben enjoys cooking for loved ones, exploring nature, and participating in meaningful community through faith and spirituality.