Eric Garcia
Program: Brahms’s Fourth
Eric Garcia conducted the RSO on August 27, 2022. Listen to his pre-concert lecture, view the Digital Concert Guide, and complete the post-concert survey on the Digital Stage.
Listen to a conversation with Eric and Podcast Host Phil Davidson (approximately 30 minutes):
Listen to Eric speak at SoundBites, a live luncheon event with RSO principal trumpet Mark Baldin (approximately 54 minutes):
Biography
Praised for his "elegant and expressive" conducting, Eric Garcia is Music Director of the Boise Philharmonic and Artistic Director and Conductor of the McCall Music Society SummerFest (ID). Eric previously served as Assistant Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, conducting subscription, education, pops, and community concerts. In addition, he served as producer for recordings on the Naxos label and conductor for Brandi Carlile’s acclaimed Columbia Records release: Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony. The 22-23 season marks his debut with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra as a candidate for Music Director.
Eric has served as guest conductor with Symphony New Hampshire, Oklahoma City Ballet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Octava Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Seattle, Philharmonia Northwest, Rainier Symphony, Northwest Festival Orchestra, Greensboro Ballet, Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, and Seattle Chamber Singers, among others. He has also served as cover conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
An avid supporter of contemporary music, Eric has collaborated with such esteemed composers as John Adams, Sergio Assad, Ryan Carter, Paul Chihara, George Crumb, Frank Ferko, David Lang, Lowell Lieberman, Nico Muhly, Eric Nathan, Sean Shepherd, and Jay Alan Yim. In addition, Eric has served as principal conductor at the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Cortona, Italy.
A champion of music education, Eric has served as Associate Conductor of the Eastern Music Festival and faculty of the Eastern Music Festival Conducting Institute. He has served as Conductor and Professor of Orchestral Conducting at the Greenwood School of Music at Oklahoma State University and the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University. Beyond his work at the collegiate level, Eric is a frequent clinician for high school orchestras throughout the country.
Eric was a member of the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Conducting teachers include Marin Alsop, Gustav Meier, Larry Rachleff, Murry Sidlin, Leonard Slatkin, and David Zinman. Eric received a Doctorate of Music and Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Northwestern University under the tutelage of Victor Yampolsky. He received a Bachelor of Music Theory from the University of Texas at Austin.
Eric hosts a radio show and podcast entitled Noted, designed for the seasoned or casual listener of classical music. Eric, his wife Sarah, and their dogs Eddie and Hazel reside in Seattle, Washington.
Photo credit: Brian Thomas Photography
