Biography

SSG Erica Schwartz is originally from Albany, New York. She holds a B.M. from the New England Conservatory, B.A. in Political Science from Tufts University, and a Master of Music from Rice University. An active orchestral musician, she has appeared as a substitute violist with the Houston Symphony, and was the winner of a contract with the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra prior to joining "Pershing’s Own". Career highlights include performances of the solo viola role in Strauss’s Don Quixote at Rice University, and participation in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Program, which allowed her to perform as a substitute with the New York Philharmonic. Schwartz has appeared at festivals such as the Pacific Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Kneisel Hall, Bowdoin and the Banff Centre Chamber Music Residency. In addition to performing, Schwartz has held several administrative positions, including internships with the early music ensemble Handel and Haydn Society and at the Massachusetts State House. She also served as the viola coach for Tufts Youth Philharmonic and now maintains a private studio. Her primary teachers include Roger Tapping, Dimitri Murrath, Ivo-Jan Van der Werff and Joan DerHovsepian. In her free time, Schwartz enjoys hiking, reading, photography, and cooking with friends.