Eric Gratz
Violin
Locations
- Remote Lessons
- 909 North Winchester Avenue
- Fine Arts Building
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Video Links
Rate
$150
Background & Experience
Hello, my name is Eric Gratz and I am thrilled you found my profile!
Following 9 seasons as Concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony, I recently relocated to the great city of Chicago. I've performed internationally as soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, and many others. I have had the honor of creating online courses at Tonebase Violin, a platform featuring some of the best violinists in the world. I've taught at Rice University, University of Texas Austin, and Texas Christian University, given masterclasses from California to China, judged competitions at the national level (MTNA), and successfully prepare students for robust careers in music through a comprehensive lesson curriculum. Please see my biography below, and feel free to reach out with any questions or to schedule a lesson, either in person or remotely. I look forward to meeting with you and helping you achieve your goals!
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Since his concerto debuts at the age of 14 in the United States, Spain, and Portugal, American violinist Eric Gratz has been celebrated as an exciting performer, known for his daring musical interpretations and impressive stylistic versatility. Equally desired as soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician, and teacher, he maintains a 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, and appeared numerous times as soloist with the orchestra in 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.
A dedicated chamber musician and recitalist, Gratz is grateful to have made many friends around the world through artistic collaboration. He has appeared with principal orchestral players, concertmasters, soloists, and other members of leading institutions, including orchestras of Cleveland, London, Los Angeles, and Minnesota, to name just a few. Highlights in recent seasons include performances with violinists Vadim Gluzman and Eric Silberger, cellist Julian Schwarz, and pianists Anton Nel, Orion Weiss, Jeffrey Kahane, ET Kim, and Jon Kimura Parker. Gratz has appeared at Mainly Mozart Festival, Castleton Chamber Players, Austin Chamber Music, Cactus Pear Music Festival, Incontri Musical, Musical Bridges around the World, Música Ocupa, and regularly performs as a member of the Olmos Ensemble.
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. He has served on competition juries from the local level to MTNA Nationals, and has been invited to teach at leading music schools, including Rice University, University of Texas Austin, and Texas Christian University. 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.net.
Following 9 seasons as Concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony, I recently relocated to the great city of Chicago. I've performed internationally as soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, and many others. I have had the honor of creating online courses at Tonebase Violin, a platform featuring some of the best violinists in the world. I've taught at Rice University, University of Texas Austin, and Texas Christian University, given masterclasses from California to China, judged competitions at the national level (MTNA), and successfully prepare students for robust careers in music through a comprehensive lesson curriculum. Please see my biography below, and feel free to reach out with any questions or to schedule a lesson, either in person or remotely. I look forward to meeting with you and helping you achieve your goals!
_______________________________
Since his concerto debuts at the age of 14 in the United States, Spain, and Portugal, American violinist Eric Gratz has been celebrated as an exciting performer, known for his daring musical interpretations and impressive stylistic versatility. Equally desired as soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician, and teacher, he maintains a 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, and appeared numerous times as soloist with the orchestra in 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.
A dedicated chamber musician and recitalist, Gratz is grateful to have made many friends around the world through artistic collaboration. He has appeared with principal orchestral players, concertmasters, soloists, and other members of leading institutions, including orchestras of Cleveland, London, Los Angeles, and Minnesota, to name just a few. Highlights in recent seasons include performances with violinists Vadim Gluzman and Eric Silberger, cellist Julian Schwarz, and pianists Anton Nel, Orion Weiss, Jeffrey Kahane, ET Kim, and Jon Kimura Parker. Gratz has appeared at Mainly Mozart Festival, Castleton Chamber Players, Austin Chamber Music, Cactus Pear Music Festival, Incontri Musical, Musical Bridges around the World, Música Ocupa, and regularly performs as a member of the Olmos Ensemble.
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. He has served on competition juries from the local level to MTNA Nationals, and has been invited to teach at leading music schools, including Rice University, University of Texas Austin, and Texas Christian University. 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.net.