ERIK SCHMIDT

​

Erik Alexander Schmidt is a collaborative percussionist based in Greensboro, NC. He works in a wide variety of genres, specializing in styles such as 20th and 21st century chamber music, classical Arabic percussion, fusion tango, orchestral percussion, and free improvisation. Erik’s greatest passion is creating and developing new works with the help of his colleagues, who include composers, musicians, dancers, and visual artists. Many of these colleagues have become regular collaborators over the years. As the percussionist for the Lorena Guillén Tango Ensemble (LGTE), Erik has worked with bassist and composer Alejandro Rutty to apply a panorama of traditional rhythms from Argentine tango, Uruguayan candombe, and Afro-Cuban traditions to brand-new and innovative instrumentation in the pursuit of creating the ensemble’s unique “fusion-tango” style. He has toured with LGTE in Los Angeles, CA as well as throughout North Carolina and Virginia. Erik has also worked with composer Anna Meadors and Flutist Krisztina Dér on Krisztina’s ongoing “Flute and Light” project, which has led to additional collaborations with composers, such as Robin McLauglin. Erik, Robin, and Krisztina have presented this project at Nief Norf’s 2019 Summer Festival, and Methodist University (Fayetteville, NC) and Liberty University’s (Lynchburg, VA) Guest Artist Series. In 2019, Erik and bassist Steven Landis, pianist Amy Zigler, and tubist Will Gray Beach formed the Winnfield Quartet, a new music ensemble dedicated to performing the works of living composers and commissioning new works. Since forming, Winnfield Quartet has performed at West Fork New Music Festival (Fairmont, WV), Salem College (Winston-Salem, NC), Winthrop University (Rock Hill, SC). The ensemble is currently booking dates for 2020. Erik and Steven Landis have also collaborated together with dancers Dylan Reddish and Nichole Lawson to create the music for Love Notes from the Skeleton in My Closet, a full length dance-theatre work that premiered at the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center in August of 2019. Love Notes is scheduled to be reprised at Greensboro Fringe Festival in January of 2020. Other festivals and organizations he has played for include The Greensboro Opera, Big Ears Music Festival, À La Carte Music Series (Greensboro), New Music Greensboro, North Carolina Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, and COLLAPPS New Music Ensemble.