Eric Mrugala is from Chicago, IL and started playing the violin at the age of three. He is an active performer and teacher based in Amherst, Massachusetts. He received his Bachelors Degree at the Boston Conservatory, and completed his Masters degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as a Graduate Quartet Fellow, and a recipient of the Julian Olevsky Violin/Viola Memorial Award. Eric appears with New England ensembles such as the Berkshire Symphony, Bennington Chorale, Keene Chorale, and Cape Ann Symphony. His recent engagements include collaborating with living composers and performing alongside members of the Fifth House Ensemble at Fresh Inc Festival. Other chamber music experiences include the Brancaleoni International Music Festival in Italy, and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, VT. Eric enjoys collaborating with musicians in traditional and non-traditional settings. Recent highlights include performing alongside DJ Spooky in Quantopia, a multimedia concert experience celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Internet, and has also performed at the Berklee Performance Center with Iranian violinist Bijan Mortazavi. As a teacher Eric is dedicated to expanding the violinistic tradition in solo and chamber music repertoire and transfer his love of music to his students. He helps students achieve their potential with structured practice, goal setting, and the use of traditional pedagogy methods used by Leopold Mozart, and Dr. Suzuki.