A member of the ensemble Sō Percussion (called “brilliant” and “consistently impressive” by the New York Times) since 2007, Eric Cha-Beach has toured the United States, 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.
Bachelor of Music: Peabody Conservatory
Graduate Performance Diploma: Peabody Conservatory
Master of Music at the Yale School of Music
Studies with Robert van Sice, Bernhard Wulff.
Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Lincoln Center Festival, Stanford Lively Arts
Yale Gordon Concerto Competition; Fulbright fellowship.
