Ben Model
silent film accompanist, historian, presenter
Piano, theatre organ, orchestra.
Blu-ray & DVD production.
Education. Writing.
“Audience Preservation”
BEN MODEL is one of the nation’s leading silent film accompanists, and performs on both piano and theatre organ. Ben works full-time presenting and accompanying silent films in a wide variety of venues and festivals around the USA and internationally, carrying on a tradition he learned from silent film organist Lee Erwin (1919-2000).
Over the past 4 decades Ben has created and performed thousands of live scores for several hundred silent films. Ben is a resident film accompanist at the Museum of Modern Art (NY) and at the Library of Congress’ Packard Campus Theatre, is a regular at festivals such as the TCM Classic Film Festival, Capitolfest and the Kansas Silent Film Festival, and performs regularly at historic theaters, museums, schools and other venues around the US and internationally.

My New Book!
I’ve written a book called The Silent Film Universe, which will be published on June 17, 2025