Ari Hest is an American singer-songwriter. Born in the Bronx and raised in a musical environment (his father is a professor of music, his mother a professional singer), Hest began writing songs for the guitar in his mid-teens. Despite his parents' professional interests, Hest considers himself a self-taught musician. Hest is a 2002 graduate of New York University. A veteran of the small club circuit, particularly in and around his native New York City, Hest recorded and issued his first three albums on his own.