Eric's Story
My journey with the violin began as a fourth grader in the San Francisco Bay Area, when an administrator at my school spared a violin from permanent doom in the dumpster and sent it home with me instead. Almost immediately, it became obvious that it was something I had a natural inclination towards.
By the time I finished 8th grade, I had already started teaching my first private student, and as a freshman in high school, I volunteered to revive, organize, compose for, and direct the school orchestra. This provided me with many wonderful opportunities for personal growth in addition to the daily teaching experience.
I had the privilege of studying under several amazing teachers, such as Susan Freier and Dale King, but I began to truly excel after beginning to study with violinist Ming Shiu Yo. It was under his expert teaching that I won my first of several local solo competitions.
In June of 2016, I moved to the Charlotte area after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music education and started what would become Boruff Violin Studio. Since that time, our studio has grown to include a team of teachers and has become one of the largest violin-exclusive lesson studios in North Carolina. In an effort to give our students access to learn from the very best, our studio has welcomed world-renowned violinists as guest instructors for masterclasses and workshops, including Alexi Kenney and William Hagen. Our private students are regularly accepted into collegiate music schools across the country.
In December of 2017, I began working with the Cornelius Youth Orchestras as a violin section coach and guest conductor, and one year later I accepted the position of music director and President of the Board of Directors. Originally just one ensemble, the CYO has seen explosive growth over the last several years, more than quintupling enrollment while adding six new performing ensembles and four educational programs featuring no-experience-required instructional classes for each of the instrument families.
Driven by the vision of fostering collaboration within the Charlotte music education community, I was priviliged to lead the founding of the Carolina Youth Orchestra Summer Festival. This groundbreaking annual festival, created through partnerships with local youth orchestras and collegiate music departments, is a testament to the participating organizations’ commitment to providing the very best opportunities for the next generation of musicians.
In recognition of these significant contributions to the arts and education in the greater Charlotte region, I was honored as one of Charlotte’s Top 30 Under 30 Future Leaders in 2024.
My goal with Boruff Violin Studio is to create a space where students aspire to excellence and are given the tools and instruction necessary to achieve it. If you’re interested in getting lessons for yourself or someone you know, contact us today to sign up for a free introductory lesson!
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