Biography

Eric Schindler, age 20 from Seattle, Washington is currently studying for his bachelor’s degree in cello performance with Laurence Lesser at New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. He has performed as a soloist with the Seattle Festival Orchestra, Philharmonia Northwest Orchestra, and the Seattle Youth Chamber Orchestra. Eric was associate principal of the Boston Apollo Ensemble, principal of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Washington All-State and All-Northwest Symphony Orchestras. Eric is currently the principal cellist of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, directed under Benjamin Zander. 

 

In 2023, Eric won the National MTNA Senior Strings concerto competition. Other awards include First Place at the final Concerto Playoff Concert for the Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside (PAFE), the PAFE Frances Walton Artist Award for Cello/Bass, and First Place in the WMEA State Solo & Ensemble Contest for cello in 2022 and 2023. He was a finalist for the 2022 KING FM Young Artist Award and is a recurring performer for Northwest Focus Live on KING FM Radio. He was also a finalist for the NPR show “From The Top,” and for the Seattle Symphony Young Artist award. 

 

Eric was a member of Morningside Music Bridge in 2023 and was the principal cellist of the MMB String Orchestra, directed by Karl Hirzer. During his time at MMB, Eric had masterclasses and private lessons with Zvi Plesser, Matt Haimowitz, Wei Yu, Tomasz Strahl, Nathan Vickery, Andres Diaz, and Clara Kim. Recently, he attended the Vivace Music festival and performed in masterclasses for Hannah Roberts, Richard Aaron, Natasha Brofsky, and Edward Arron.  

 

Currently, Eric continues his chamber studies at NEC with Max Levinson and Kristopher Tong. Eric also participates in NEC's Community Performances and Partnerships Program, providing free interactive performances for remote audiences. In the past, he participated in the inaugural season of the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Academy, coached by Noah Geller, Melisa Barston, Sasha Starcevich, Rachel Lee Priday, Anne Marie McDermott, Efe Baltacigil, and Ani Aznavoorian.  

 

Eric developed a love for the cello at the age of four; at age 11, he started studying with Dr. Kevin Krentz at the Krentz Cello Studio. When he isn’t playing his cello, Eric enjoys hiking and skiing in the Pacific Northwest; in 2021, Eric earned his Eagle Scout award from Troop 570 in Kirkland, Washington.