Erik’s versatility as an orchestra conductor has stretched across a broad range of repertoire: from conducting as few as five performers in contemporary and modern works, to leading 300 performers in Live to Projection film concerts. As Principal Touring Conductor of La La Land Live in Concert, he has conducted 50 performances of Justin Hurwitz’s Academy Award and Grammy Award winning score synchronized to the movie. He is considered by audiences and critics alike to be one of the leading film-orchestra conductors due to his energy, attention to detail and precise synchronization.
Highlights:
The world premiere of Mary Poppins in Concert (1964) at the Sydney Opera House; complete performance of Disney’s Frozen (sung in Polish) in front of 16,000 people in Krakow, Poland; on 40 hours’ notice, he flew to Taiwan to conduct Beauty and the Beast in Concert to fill in for an ailing colleague! Other movies include Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Love Actually, Back to the Future, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Ghostbusters, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek (2009), and Star Trek Into Darkness. He is the founder and Music Director of SONOS Chamber Orchestra. He attended The Pierre Monteux School, is a graduate of Dartmouth College and is a proud Finnish-American dual citizen. He lives in New York City, loves travelling, wine and collecting requiem recordings.