Pianist Eric Clark has performed to great acclaim throughout much of the United States as well as in Europe and Asia. Currently based in New York City, recent performances include recitals for the Musicians Club of New York, performing at Scandinavia House, a performance of Mozart Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 with the Palisades Sinfonietta in New York City, performances in David Dubal’s “Piano Evenings” in Manhattan, and several chamber music concerts in private residences. 

 

An advocate of the study of historical performance practice (though he still plays on the modern piano), he studied at the Academy for Fortepiano Performance in the Catskills, headed by Audrey Axinn and Yiheng Yang of the Juilliard School. In September of 2018, Mr. Clark was invited as the only American contestant to attend the First International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments in Warsaw, Poland, where he was admitted to the semifinal round. He was subsequently invited to give a recital at the Sinfonia Warsawia.  

 

In 2013, Eric was selected to perform for the screening round of the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, performing at Caspary Auditorium at Rockefeller University.  He has also played for the Concerts at One series at Trinity Wall Street. The New York-based music blog Lucid Culture praised Eric’s interpretation of Liszt’s Years of Pilgrimage: Italy, remarking, “It’s not often that audiences get to hear the thoughtful side of Liszt: Kudos to Clark for delivering it with grace and, if anything, understatement.” 

 

Eric Clark is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied with Enrique Graf, Sergey Schepkin and had several lessons most semesters with Earl Wild and Ilana Vered. Other teachers with whom Eric has worked with on a regular basis include Michael Blum, Simon Mulligan and Nina Lelchuk. He also had occasional coachings with Byron Janis, Ann Schein, and Jerome Lowenthal. 

 

A passionate advocate of new music, Mr. Clark commissioned a solo piano work by fellow Carnegie Mellon University graduate Christian Kriegeskotte. Entitled “Le Mat- XXII Arcana,” this ambitious work is a cycle of twenty-two pieces, each based on one of the twenty-two “major arcana” of the tarot. Le Mat is currently available for download on iTunes, Spotify, and Soundcloud. A versatile musician, he has accompanied musical theater productions, performed with rock bands and jazz singers, produced his own transcriptions of popular songs, and enjoys improvisation as well. 

 

Mr. Clark is also an accomplished visual artist, whose drawings and paintings have won awards at New Jersey arts festivals. He teaches privately in Manhattan and is on the faculty at the Ridgewood Conservatory in New Jersey. He has experience working with students of all ages and levels, and is capable of teaching students to play popular music as well as more traditional classical repertoire.