He is a trombonist, conductor, arranger, composer and teacher born in London who was a member of the Wandsworth School and its acclaimed boy’s choir. While in the choir he had a lot of dealings with professionals in the music industry, and the composer Benjamin Britten had an established association with the school, which led to him writing Eric a solo part in his Children’s Crusade.
He won a scholarship to study at the Guildhall School of Music and while there he began working with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble , who he would stay with for many years. He further studied composition at the University of Surrey and won the Joyce Dixey Award.
After leaving he University he joined the London Symphony Orchestra and after seven years became their Co-Principal Trombone, in which position he would stay for the next 20 years until 2000 when he joined the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden and became their Director of Brass Soloists.
Other artists and ensembles he has recorded with include Henry Mancini, Denver Brass , Nanci Griffith and Mannheim Steamroller. As an arranger and conductor he has led the London Symphony Orchestra Brass, and his arrangements can be heard on the recordings Giovanni Gabrieli: Music for Brass, American Brass, Cathedral Brass, The London Horn Sound and The London Trombone Sound.
In the world of movies he may be heard performing on the soundtracks of four of the Star Wars films Raiders of the Lost Ark, three Harry Potter films, Who Killed Roger Rabbit, Superman, An American Tail and Shrek II among many others.
His compositions are often performed by brass ensembles and include “Silk Street Stomp”, “Two Antiphonal Fanfares” and “Processional for PJ” written as a tribute to the late Philip Jones .
In education he is the Conductor of Wind, Brass and Percussion and Professor of Trombone at the Guildhall School of Music and always encouraging music for young people he has led many international youth orchestras and adjudicated many competitions at various worldwide venues. He was awarded a Fellowship with the Guildhall School of Music in 1991.
In 2011 he became Artistic Director of the Symphonic Brass of London.
Here he is conducting the Guildhall Trombones in a performance of “Layla”…
Sources:
- http://www.ericcrees.co.uk/
- http://www.trombonesonline.com/artist-trombone/ericcrees.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Crees
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/688135-Eric-Crees