ERIC GRATZ
FEATURED VIDEO
"Spellbinding . . . a disciplined musician beyond his years"
~San Antonio Express-News
BIOGRAPHY
Since his concerto debuts at the age of 14 in the United States, Spain, and Portugal, American violinist Eric Gratz has been celebrated as a thrilling performer, combining an old world style with a modern musical intellect. Equally desired as soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician, and educator, he maintains a uniquely varied schedule that has taken him to four continents, performing in the world’s great concert halls with leading musicians of our time.
In 2013, at the age of 22, Gratz became the youngest Concertmaster in North America, accepting the post with the San Antonio Symphony. During his nine seasons with the orchestra, he took part in over a dozen world premieres, and appeared numerous times as soloist in a far-reaching repertoire ranging from Bach to Kurt Weill. Additional solo appearances include The Cleveland Orchestra, The Phoenix Symphony, CityMusic Cleveland, Lexington Bach Festival Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, Euclid Symphony, Kings Symphony, and the Mid-Texas Symphony, with conductors Giancarlo Guerrero, David Danzmayr, Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Akiko Fujimoto, Noam Aviel, and Tito Muñoz. In demand as a Guest Concertmaster, he has appeared in recent seasons with the Santa Fe Opera, The Phoenix Symphony, and Louisiana Philharmonic.
Beginning in the fall of 2024, Gratz assumes the role of Director of the American Chamber Music Society in Chicago. He will also serve as Artist-in-Residence for the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. A devoted interpreter of chamber music and recital repertoire, he appears at major festivals and concert halls around the world, including Mainly Mozart Festival, Maui Classical Music Festival, Castleton Festival, Austin Chamber Music, Dame Myra Hess Recital Series, Santa Cruz Foundation for the Performing Arts, Severance Hall, Auditorio Manuel De Falla, and the Kennedy Center. A former Artistic Director of the Olmos Ensemble, he maintains an active performing schedule with the San Antonio-based group. Among Gratz’s many collaborators, some have stood out as particularly memorable, including violinists Vadim Gluzman and Eric Silberger; cellist Julian Schwarz; pianists Anton Nel, Orion Weiss, Jeffrey Kahane, John Novacek, and Jon Kimura Parker; harpsichordist/conductor Jeannette Sorrell; and members of the Vertavo, Pacifica, Mendelssohn, Formosa, and Fine Arts String Quartets.
As a recording artist, Gratz has appeared on several albums. His debut album of virtuoso works for violin and piano (Eric Gratz, with pianist ET Kim) was released in 2016 on his own label. It charted at #11 on Billboard Classical, making it the top independent release in the United States for its first week. He has subsequently recorded two other albums with the Olmos Ensemble, Olmos Live (2016) and Made In France (2019), performing works by Harbison, Prokofiev, and Ravel.
Gratz believes it is of the utmost importance to inspire the next generation of musicians, and currently serves as an Apollo's Fire Senior Teaching Artist-in-Residence at Southland College Prep in South Chicago, as well as on the faculty of North Central College. He has given masterclasses at various institutions in the U.S., as well as in Ecuador, Italy, and China. In summer of 2024 he serves as Valade Concertmaster Faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp. A proponent of utilizing new technology to help democratize education, he has recorded several hours of video courses for TONEBASE, focusing on the music of Kreisler, Ysaÿe, and Beethoven.
A prizewinner of national and international competitions, Eric Gratz holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, and his former teachers include Cho-Liang Lin, William Preucil, Linda Cerone, Claudia Shiuh, and Cynthia Stuart. He plays a violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, c. 1840. For more information, please visit ericgratz.com.
CONTACT
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SCHEDULE
11.22.24
Recital
Program TBD
Marta Aznavoorian, Piano
Chicago, IL
11.10-16.24
Artist-in-Residence
Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle
Durham, NC
https://www.chamberorchestraofthetriangle.org/
11.8.24
Faculty Recital - North Central College
Brahms: Sonata in A Major
Schubert: Sonatina in A Minor
Ravel: Sonata in G Major
Susan Chou, Piano
Naperville, IL
10.26.24
American Chamber Music Society
Schubert: Sonatina in A Minor
Faure: Piano Quartet in C Minor
Lawrence Neuman, Viola
Kenneth Olsen, Cello
Christopher Guzman, Piano
Chicago, IL
10.21.24
Dahl: Concerto a tre
Copland: Vitebsk
Harbison: Songs America Loves to Sing
Ilya Shterenberg, Clarinet
Julian Schwarz, Cello
Mark Teplitsky, Flute
Inna Faliks, Piano
San Antonio, TX
9.7.24
American Chamber Music Society
Mendelssohn: D Minor Trio
Esmail: Saans
Brahms: B Major Trio
Julian Schwarz, Cello
Marika Bournaki, Piano
Chicago, IL
8.25.24
Brahms: B Major Trio
Julian Schwarz, Cello
Marika Bournaki, Piano
San Antonio, TX
8.11.24
Bach: Concerto in A Minor
Brandenburg Concerto no. 5
San Antonio, TX
8.4.24
Recital
Beethoven: Sonata no. 10
Szymanowski: Nocturne and Tarantella
*Intermission*
Brahms: Scherzo from FAE Sonata
Chopin: Nocturne in C# Minor
Kroll: Banjo and Fiddle
Kreisler: Caprice Viennois
Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen
Ravel: Vocalise-étude en forme de Habanera
ET Kim, Piano
San Antonio, TX
7.23 - 7.27.24
Soloist and Concertmaster
McCall Music Festival
McCall, ID
6.24 - 7.6.24
Valade Concertmaster Faculty
Interlochen Arts Camp
Interlochen, MI
5.16-5.26.24
Maui Classical Music Festival
Maui, HI
www.mauiclassicalmusicfestival.org
5.5.24 & 5.6.24
Brahms: Sonata no. 1 in G Major, op. 78
Jon Nakamatsu, Piano
San Antonio, TX
4.10.24
Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts
Mozart: Sonata in G Major, K 301
Prokofiev: 5 Melodes, op. 35b
Price: Fantasie in G Minor
Ravel: Vocalise-étude en forme de Habanera
ET Kim, Piano
Chicago, IL
https://classicalmusicchicago.org/ourprograms/damemyrahessmemorialconcerts/
3.4.24
Bonis: Suite, op. 59
Clara Schumann: 3 Romances
Bonis: Suite, "dans style le ancien"
Janice Carissa, Piano
San Antonio, TX
1.22.24
Mozart: Sonata in G Major, K 301
Johan Novacek, Piano
San Antonio, TX
1.13.24
Guest Concertmaster
Louisiana Philharmonic
New Orleans, LA
1.11.24
Guest Concertmaster
Louisiana Philharmonic
New Orleans, LA
10.23.23
Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps
Ravel: Duo for Violin and Cello
Ani Aznavoorian, Cello
Marta Aznavoorian, Piano
San Antonio, TX
8.27.23
Beethoven: Sonata in E Flat Major
Bartok: Contrasts
Scott Cuellar, Piano
San Antonio, TX
8.20.23
Brandenburg Concerto no. 4
Telemann: Method Violin Sonata in G Minor
Eccles: Bellamira Variations
Jeannette Sorrell, Harpsichord
San Antonio, TX
6.10.23
The Zoellner Quartet Tribute
Mozart: String Quartet K590
Eleanor Alberga: String Quartet #2
Brian Shank: Tribus capellis - GAC commission
Dvorak: Quartet #14 in A flat
James Thompson, Violin
Anthony Bracewell, Viola
Julian Muller, Cello
Chatham, NY
https://www.thegarageatchatham.com/tribute-to-the-zoellner-quartet
5.22.23
Strauss: Violin Sonata
Christopher Guzman, Piano
San Antonio, TX
4.22 & 23
Mozart: Complete Viola Quintets
"Quintessentially Mozart" Spring Festival
Castleton Chamber Players
Castleton, VA
https://castleton.simpletix.com/
3.30.23
Guest Concertmaster
Louisiana Philharmonic
New Orleans, LA
3.20 and 21
Etler: Concerto for Violin & Winds
Hoffmeister: Duo for Flute & Violin
San Antonio, TX
1.26.23
Guest Concertmaster
Louisiana Philharmonic
New Orleans, LA
1.16.23
Brahms: Piano Quintet
Penderecki: Clarinet Quartet
Anton Nel, Piano
Sarah Manzke, Violin
Matthew Cohen, Viola
Julian Schwarz, Cello
San Antonio, TX
11.21.22
Ysaye: Sonata no. 5
Stravinsky: Pastorale for Violin & Winds
Fuchs: Duo for Clarinet & Violin
San Antonio, TX
11.12.22
Guest Concertmaster
Louisiana Philharmonic
New Orleans, LA
10.16.22
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Mid-Texas Symphony
Akiko Fujimoto, Conductor
New Braunfels, TX
https://www.mtsymphony.org/Info/Events/Events.aspx
9.19.22
Tartini: Devil's Trill Sonata arr. Kreisler
Rota: Trio for Violin, Flute, & Piano
Menotti: Trio for Violin, Clarinet, & Piano
San Antonio, TX
8.21.22
JS Bach: Trio Sonata in G Major BWV 1039
Telemann: Tafelmusic in D Minor TWV 43:d1
San Antonio, TX
8.14.22
Creston: Suite for Violin & Piano
Brahms: Piano Trio in C Minor
Ravel: Piano Trio
Euntaek Kim, Piano
Allan Steele, Cello
San Antonio, TX
5.23.22
Debussy: Sonata in G Minor
Marika Bournaki, Piano
San Antonio, TX
4.6.22/4.8.22
Guest Concertmaster and Soloist
The Phoenix Symphony
Phoenix, AZ
https://www.phoenixsymphony.org/