Atelier Past Faculty

Eric Cha-Beach

Eric Cha-Beach headshot

photo by Evan Chapman

About

A member of the ensemble So Percussion (called “brilliant” and “consistently impressive” by the New York Times) since 2007, Eric Cha-Beach has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Lincoln Center Festival, Stanford Lively Arts, and dozens of other venues in the United States. In that time, So Percussion has toured Russia, Spain, Australia, and other international destinations. He has had the opportunity to work closely with Steve Reich, Steve Mackey, Paul Lansky, David Lang, Matmos, Dan Deacon, and many others. In addition to performing with So Percussion, Eric plays in the bass/percussion duo Druid Hill with bass player Evan Lipson.

As a composer, Eric’s pieces written for So Percussion are featured in ‘Where (we) Live’ (BAM Next Wave 2012); ‘Five Songs, Dances, and Meditations’ written to accompany Martin Kersels’ Five Songs (Whitney Biennial 2010); ‘Imaginary City’ (BAM Next Wave 2009); and ‘Music for Trains’ – a site-specific performance on the train and at train stations in Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, VT (2008). With Jason Treuting and Josh Quillen, he co-composed music for Shen Wei Dance’s ‘Undivided/Divided’ (Park Avenue Armory 2011), the 2wice ‘Fifth Wall’ app for iPad with dancer Jonah Bokaer, and the sound installation ‘On/Off’ as part of Bring to Light/Nuit Blanche New York 2011. He has composed the music for the dance film ‘Parts Don’t Work’ (2011) by choreographer KT Niehoff and Lingo Dance, and the transition music for the internet radio station Q2 (2010). His compositions have also been featured in the ‘Bell by Bell’ parade as part of Make Music Winter in 2011 and 2012. And his electronic music has been featured as ambient pre-show music at each night of the 2012 Look and Listen Festival and on the album ‘Amid the Noise Remixes’ (2011).

As a member of So Percussion, Eric is a performer-in-residence at Princeton University. Eric is also Co-Director and Principal Administrator of the So Percussion Summer Institute, an annual intensive course on the campus of Princeton University for college-aged percussionists started in 2009. He is also co-director of a new percussion program at the Bard College Conservatory of Music.

Studying with Robert van Sice, Eric received his Bachelor of Music and Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Conservatory, where he won the Yale Gordon Concerto Competition, and his Master of Music at the Yale School of Music. He also received a Fulbright fellowship and pursued additional study with Bernhard Wulff in Freiburg, Germany.

Campus Address

Woolworth Center