Eric Hirsh profile picture

Eric Hirsh

About Me

To Eric Hirsh, music is about expressing the sounds of the world, with all its daily rhythms, joys, and sorrows. It is both a catalyst and a means for communication and communion, for dancing, for shaking people out of their comfort zone. Hirsh is at home in an impressive array of roles and genres, but his art, whether an improvised salsa solo or a classical song cycle, is characterized by both a soaring energy and a touching sense of reflection.

The son of two conservatory trained musicians, Hirsh began playing piano at age 6 in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri and developed early interests in jazz and synthesizers. He studied with regionally renowned pianist Carolbeth True , who quickly saw in him a natural talent for improvisation. Hirsh was playing professional gigs at area restaurants and nightclubs by the age of 12. By age 18, he had already arranged and produced two albums with an original band, as well as created sound designs for numerous theatre productions.
Hirsh obtained his Bachelor of Arts in both Music and Physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studied piano and composition with Stephen Anderson , Ed Paolantonio, and Thomas Otten. He became an active student leader in the jazz program and is a three-time winner of the ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composers Award for pieces he wrote during his undergraduate tenure. As a founding member of Charanga Carolina, a Cuban danzón ensemble directed by UNC professor and ethnomusicologist David Garcia, Hirsh discovered a forum through which he could deepen his knowledge and share his passion for Afro-Cuban music. Hirsh also spent 18 months in collaboration with director/choreographer Dana Dobreva, working on an original musical entitled Puppets and Shadows. Together they produced a workshop of the show through the UNC Department of Dramatic Art's Advanced Showcase, bringing together students of many disciplines. Just prior to completing his studies at UNC, Hirsh received his first professional commission to write a jazz setting of the Mass for the Newman Catholic Student Center, where the work is still being performed.

Hirsh has now established himself as an exciting performer, composer, and technologist in Durham, NC. He is the co-director, arranger, and pianist for Orquesta GarDel , a 13-piece all-star salsa band whose performances and unique sound have garnered cover-story attention from the Independent Weekly . He is also the keyboardist for The Beast , a jazz/hip hop collective fronted by emcee/spoken word artist Pierce Freelon. The Beast's debut album, "Belly," features Eric's vocal and horn arrangements for YahZarah , Nnenna Freelon , the Seed and Harvest Gospel Choir, and others. Core members of The Beast also play in Hirsh's latest project, a jazz ensemble which acts as a platform for his original compositions. When he is not focusing on these dynamic endeavors, Hirsh is a fiery pianist on the local jazz scene, playing restaurants and night clubs with the likes of John Brown and Brevan Hampden among others.

Hirsh has also found a way to professionally pursue his long-standing interest in music technology. He is an employee of Zenph Studios , a software company that specializes in algorithms for understanding and re-creating precisely how musicians perform. The highly acclaimed work of this team of software engineers, researchers, and professional musicians has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Stereophile, and Jazz Times. At Zenph, Hirsh is spearheading research initiatives in virtual instrument development and score engraving. Hirsh also brought Zenph's technology to the stage of the Apollo Theater in Harlem in June 2008 as the Supervising Producer and Sound Designer for the premiere of an original one-man show, Art Tatum: Piano Starts Here .

To Eric Hirsh, being a musician is about a never-ending journey of artistic development and exploration. His determination to challenge himself and undertake each endeavor with enthusiasm, commitment, and purpose continue to lead him into exciting new territories.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 26/01/2006
Band Website: http://www.erichirsh.com
Band Members:

Influences: Adam Guettel, Frou Frou, Avishai Cohen, Jill Scott, Muse, Joni Mitchell, Puccini, Beck, Eddie Palmieri, Kurt Elling, Dzihan and Kamien, Dave Holland, Chick Corea, Bjork, DJ Logic, Katia Labeque Band, Steve Reich, Jamiroquai, LP Outsiders, Eric Ewazen, Libby Larsen, Claudia Acuna, BT, Phillip Glass, Foreign Exchange, Røyksopp, Meshell Ndegeocello, Wayne Shorter, John Hollenbeck, Jean Sibelius, I Was Totally Destroying It, Hammer No More The Fingers, Astor Piazzolla
Type of Label: Unsigned

My Blog

last myspace post - see the RSS reader below!

Hey all,The plugin that allowed me to crosspost from WordPress to Myspace doesn't work with the latest version of WP.  I'm going to stop re-posting my blog entries into myspace posts.  Instead there i...
Posted by on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:03:00 GMT

Os Quindins de Yayá

Like many American children, many of my initial cultural experiences were mediated by Walt Disney.  I'm thinking specifically of the film, The Three Caballeros, which I have always loved for its ...
Posted by on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:56:00 GMT

GarDel year in review (response to Onda Carolina post)

Hello Sylvia and readers of Onda Carolina. I wanted to take the time to respond to your post publicly: as it stands, our local Latin music community is still small enough that there needn't be an unap...
Posted by on Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:53:00 GMT

Zenph Studios Grammy nomination!

I've posted a new article entitled Zenph Studios Grammy nomination! on my blog Eric Hirsh news.Due to crossposting and formatting restrictions within the MySpace system, the article will not be posted...
Posted by on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:48:00 GMT

Body- and Community-awareness

I've posted a new article entitled Body- and Community-awareness on my blog Eric Hirsh news.Due to crossposting and formatting restrictions within the MySpace system, the article will not be posted he...
Posted by on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:49:00 GMT

The Return of PrimeraJazz

I've posted a new article entitled The Return of PrimeraJazz on my blog Eric Hirsh news.Due to crossposting and formatting restrictions within the MySpace system, the article will not be posted here.P...
Posted by on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:52:00 GMT

Beast on TV and at Shakori Hills

I've posted a new article entitled Beast on TV and at Shakori Hills on my blog Eric Hirsh news.Due to crossposting and formatting restrictions within the MySpace system, the article will not be posted...
Posted by on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:47:00 GMT

Beast album and WUNC's "The State of Things" this Friday!

I've posted a new article entitled Beast album and WUNC "The State of Things" this Friday! on my blog Eric Hirsh news.Due to crossposting and formatting restrictions within the MySpace system, the art...
Posted by on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:32:00 GMT

The Beast is in the mountains

I've posted a new article entitled The Beast is in the mountains on my blog Eric Hirsh news.Due to crossposting and formatting restrictions within the MySpace system, the article will not be posted he...
Posted by on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:05:00 GMT

Top 10 Favorite Albums

I've posted a new article entitled Top 10 Favorite Albums on my blog Eric Hirsh news.Due to crossposting and formatting restrictions within the MySpace system, the article will not be posted here.Plea...
Posted by on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:07:00 GMT