Erik Privert

Erik picked the new instrument up quickly and went on to perform with the prestigious Grammy Foundation All-Star Jazz Band and the Illinois All- State band. He also attended the National High School Music Institute at Northwestern University and was afforded the opportunity to play throughout the world.

In 1997, Erik was accepted to the world-renowned Berklee College of Music on a scholarship. At Berklee, he studied music business and performance with notable teachers including Whit Browne, Peter Aldaheff, and Phil Wilson. Before graduating in 2001, Erik was awarded The Joe Smith Scholarship, The John Neves Scholarship, and the Berklee Achievement Scholarship.

After graduating Berklee in 2001, Erik has been fortunate to record, perform, and tour with Rachael Price, Kurt Elling, James Moody, Kevin Mahogany, Ron Blake, TS Monk, Nnenna Freelon, Eric Reed, and many more. Some of the venues where he has performed include Wally’s Jazz Cafe (Boston, MA), Jazz Alley (Seattle, WA), Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), Newport Jazz Festival (Newport, RI), Detroit Jazz Festival (Detriot, MI), Juneau Jazz Festival (Juneau, AK), Detroit Symphony Hall (Detroit, MI), Tanglewood Jazz Festival (Lenox, MA), JVC Jazz Festival - Birdland.

Also an accomplished composer and arranger, Erik's arrangement of Skylark on Rachael Price's album "The Good Hours", has been praised by both critics and audiences. Erik's composition "We Move" (co-written with Sachal Vasandani), was recorded and released on Sachal Vasandani's Mack Avenue Records release entitled "We Move" in September 2009. In Spring 2010, Erik's arrangement of "America the Beautiful" was featured on Grammy-nominated vocalist Nnenna Freelon's latest recording. A new arrangement of "The Very Thought of You" and a composition (co-written with Vasandani) entitled "Summer No School" appear on Sachal Vasandani's latest Mack Avenue Records release "Hi- Fly".

Now living in Boston, MA Erik is continuing to tour, compose/arrange, and collaborate with a wide variety of artists.

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