Erik Rynearson
principal viola
Native of Southern California, Erik Rynearson has been performing music since the age of three. He has been first call substitute with the Detroit and Phoenix symphonies and has valued that relationship with his local playmates in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. As a member, Erik can be seen smiling on stage as principal violist of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and Santa Barbara’s Symphony and Chamber Orchestra. He has also been featured, on occasion, as solo horn player in his car.
Musically, Erik devoured Beethoven, Brubeck, Haydn and Prokofiev in childhood and currently hungers for the sounds of Berg, Berlioz, Cage, Daft Punk and Led Zeppelin. He owes his musical preparedness to his teachers Miwako Watanabe, Henryk Kowalski, Franco Gulli and Alan deVeritch.
Erik can be hard to find when off-stage, hiking mountains or slicing submerged as a swimmer. When not wielding his 1970 Alfio Batelli viola crafted for Jan Hlinka, Erik employs a number of lenses to photograph life one frame at a time.