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"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.

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GALLERY
Music

SCHEDULE

11.22.24

Recital 

North Shore Congregation Israel

Tartini/Kreisler: "Devil's Trill Sonata"

Wieniawski: Legende

Beethoven: Sonata no. 3 in E-Flat Major

Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen

Marta Aznavoorian, Piano

Glencoe, IL

​

11.10-17.24

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

www.americanchambermusic.org

​

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

www.olmosensemble.com

​

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

www.americanchambermusic.org

​

8.25.24

Brahms: B Major Trio

Julian Schwarz, Cello

Marika Bournaki, Piano

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

8.11.24

Bach: Concerto in A Minor

Brandenburg Concerto no. 5

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

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

www.olmosensemble.com

​

7.23 - 7.27.24

Soloist and Concertmaster

McCall Music Festival

McCall, ID

www.mccallmusicsociety.org

​

6.24 - 7.6.24

Valade Concertmaster Faculty

Interlochen Arts Camp

Interlochen, MI

www.interlochen.org

​

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

www.olmosensemble.com

 

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

www.olmosensemble.com

​

1.22.24

Mozart: Sonata in G Major, K 301

Johan Novacek, Piano

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

1.13.24

Guest Concertmaster

Louisiana Philharmonic

New Orleans, LA

https://lpomusic.com/

​

1.11.24

Guest Concertmaster

Louisiana Philharmonic

New Orleans, LA

https://lpomusic.com/

 

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

www.olmosensemble.com

​

8.27.23

Beethoven: Sonata in E Flat Major

Bartok: Contrasts

Scott Cuellar, Piano

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

8.20.23

Brandenburg Concerto no. 4

Telemann: Method Violin Sonata in G Minor

Eccles: Bellamira Variations

Jeannette Sorrell, Harpsichord

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

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

www.olmosensemble.com

​

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

https://lpomusic.com/

​

3.20 and 21

Etler: Concerto for Violin & Winds

Hoffmeister: Duo for Flute & Violin

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

1.26.23

Guest Concertmaster

Louisiana Philharmonic

New Orleans, LA

https://lpomusic.com/

​

1.16.23

Brahms: Piano Quintet

Penderecki: Clarinet Quartet

Anton Nel, Piano

Sarah Manzke, Violin

Matthew Cohen, Viola

Julian Schwarz, Cello

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

11.21.22

Ysaye: Sonata no. 5

Stravinsky: Pastorale for Violin & Winds

Fuchs: Duo for Clarinet & Violin

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

11.12.22

Guest Concertmaster

Louisiana Philharmonic

New Orleans, LA

https://lpomusic.com/

​

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

www.olmosensemble.com

​

8.21.22

JS Bach: Trio Sonata in G Major BWV 1039

Telemann: Tafelmusic in D Minor TWV 43:d1

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

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

www.olmosensemble.com

​

5.23.22

Debussy: Sonata in G Minor

Marika Bournaki, Piano

San Antonio, TX

www.olmosensemble.com

​

4.6.22/4.8.22

Guest Concertmaster and Soloist

The Phoenix Symphony

Phoenix, AZ

https://www.phoenixsymphony.org/​​​​​​​​​

SCHEDULE
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