Eric Thomas

Biography

Eric Thomas began his conducting career as Principal Conductor of the Opera New England Chamber Orchestra, the touring arm of Sarah Caldwell’s Opera Company of Boston, conducting at Boston First Night as well as providing concerts at schools throughout New England.

Additionally, Eric has held posts as Principal Conductor of the University of Maine at Farmington, Assistant Conductor of the Phillips Exeter Orchestra, Interim Conductor of the Phillips Academy Andover Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Longy School of Music Youth String Orchestra.  Eric has been guest conductor for the Bangor Symphony, the Colby College Symphony Orchestra, Pineland Suzuki Orchestra, Moab Chamber Orchestra, Moab Community Chorus, and the University of Maine’s faculty’s Cadenzato Chamber Ensemble.

Maestro Thomas is also a virtuoso clarinetist whose woodwind quintet won the prestigious International Concert Artist Guild Award and gave their critically acclaimed Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1978.  He has appeared as a guest artist with several groups including the Keene Chamber Orchestra, the Apple Hill Chamber Players, the Sylvan Winds of New York City, the Boston Pops Traveling Ensemble, the Bravo! Festival at Vail, the Wellesley Composers Conference and the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival.

As a freelance artist, Eric has toured with Goldovsky Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Opera New England, the New England Ragtime Ensemble, and orchestras including La Orquesta Sinfonica de Monterrey, the Florida Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, New York City Opera in the Park Orchestra, the Southwest Florida Orchestra, and the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra.

Eric has been a guest lecturer and performer at several colleges and universities, including Brown University, Harvard University, Boston University, Boston Conservatory, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.