Hailed as "a true virtuoso of his instrument" by Fanfare magazine, Justin Benavidez joined the faculty of the Eastman School of Music as associate professor of tuba and euphonium in 2023. He is principal tuba of the Syracuse Orchestra and spends his summers on faculty at the Round Top Music Festival in Round Top, Texas, and as principal tuba of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, Calif.