Eric Hansen

Bassist Eric Hansen received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, followed by two years of DMA studies at the University of Maryland College Park. His professional ensemble experience includes Principal Bass with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Musik Barock Ensemble, the Talbot Chamber Orchestra, the Great Music West Festival Orchestra, and the National Chamber Orchestra in Washington D.C. Section positions have been with the Ballet West orchestra, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony (VA), and the Baltimore Opera. Sub work has included the National Symphony, the Wolf Trapp Theater, the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa), the Saratov Philharmonic, the Funkhaus Orchester (Cologne), and since 2001 continues with the Utah Symphony.

Chamber music work has included the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Intermezzo Chamber Music Series (Salt Lake City), the Concert Artists of Baltimore, CBC Radio, Seagram’s Crown Royal Recital, the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society, Groundswell, the duMaurier Arts New Music Festival, and the Bravo Arts channel. Collaborative performing with other bassists has included luminaries such as Hal Robinson, Joel Quarrington, Catalin Rotaru, Bogus Furtok, Dominik Wagner, Barry Green and Jeff Bradetich. Eric has also performed with many popular artists, including Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Peter Cetera, Al Jarreau, Doc Severinson, Victor Borge, Diana Krall, and Dizzie Gillespie.

As an active soloist he has performed recitals in the U.S., Canada, Ecuador, Chile, Denmark, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Austria, Czechia, Georgia, Poland, Russia, and China. Over the years his presentations have been for conferences of the International Society of Bassists, the American String Teachers Association, and at festivals such as EuroBass, Mir Kontrabass, and the World Bass Festival (Poland). His primary teachers are Harold Robinson, Eugene Levinson, and Audrey Bush, and lessons/coachings also with Curtis Burris, Stuart Sankey, Lawrence Wolfe, Dennis Trembly, Chris Hanulik, Larry Angel, Ludwig Streicher, and Bob Barney.

As an educator, Eric was hired by BYU in 2001 as the first full-time bass professor. Adjunct positions have also been with Dickinson College (’88-‘91), the University of Manitoba (’92-‘01), and briefly at both BYU-Idaho and Utah State University. In 2009 the Utah chapter of the American String Teachers Association awarded Eric the Higher Education Teacher of the Year. From 2011-2018 he served on the ASTA chapter board, with a term as president from 2014-2016. He has published articles and original works with American String Teacher and Recital Music in the UK respectively. Masterclasses and adjudication/jury work have been in schools and venues around the world, most recently in La Serena Chile, Cetinje Montenegro, Tbilisi Georgia, Katowice Poland, and the University of Louisville.

During his years at BYU Eric has been the Director of the Symphony Orchestra (2001-11), served as the String Division Coordinator (2007-14), was the Music Director of the Young Ambassadors (2011-19), and since 2014 has been a in the faculty jazz quintet, Q’d Up, appearing on their last four albums.

Eric and his wife, Debra Biser, together are the parents of nine children, and seven grandchildren.