Eric Murphy began studying French horn with William Kuyper of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and later continued his studies with Norman Schweikert and Richard Oldberg of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. While a student at Northwestern University in Chicago, he was one of four horn players awarded 1st Prize in the university competition, for their interpretation of Schumann’s Konzertstück. After graduating in music and English literature from Northwestern University in 1989, he was 2nd horn at the Philharmonia Hungarica in Marl, Germany, under the direction of Gilbert Varga. During the next three and a half years, in Switzerland, he was 2nd horn in the Biel Symphony Orchestra and 3rd horn in the Bern Symphony Orchestra. In 1994 he became a member of the Gulbenkian Orchestra, where he is currently 2nd solo horn.

He has played on recordings with the Philharmonische Werkstatt Orchester of Zurich and also with the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie in Konstanz, Germany. He has also worked with the Florida Orchestra and participated in international music festivals as a member of the AIMS Orchestra (Graz, Austria) and the National Repertory Orchestra (Keystone, Colorado). During his time in Switzerland, he also studied natural horn, on which he regularly performs.

February 2002