ABOUT CLIPPER ERICKSON

“He played with extraordinary dash and power and never let flamboyance obscure art” Martin Bernheimer – Los Angeles Times

Believing that music is a form of communication, pianist Clipper Erickson speaks the language with pure passion. After making his debut at age 19, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles with the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra under Calvin Simmons, Erickson began performing as a soloist with orchestras and in recital throughout the United States.  After completing studies at Indiana and Yale Universities his playing also has echoed through some of the most famous concert venues in the world, including the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and the Kennedy Center in Washington. Critics use words like “color,” “power” and “excitement” to describe his performances, with one writer at The Standard Times in New Bedford, Mass., stating, “Astounding would be one way to describe his ability to get from the piano … more sound than I have ever heard.”

Even though he has played all over the world, Erickson has a special interest in the music back home: specifically how American composers reflected American history and how America views itself in its music.  On concert programs he often features African-American music by including works that have roots in jazz and blues. He also likes to promote new composers, always choosing pieces that “speak” to everyone, not only the initiated.  Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour has recently selected him for inclusion in their roster, enabling him to bring this repertoire to wider audiences.

Erickson’s unusual, creative programming is reflected in his CD releases and concert programming.  His mission is to make classical music accessible to everyone through conversation and an informal relationship with his audiences.  Remarks from presenters such as “Equally impressive was his ability to relate to the audience during the pre-concert lecture”, and, “in preconcert discussions his winning personality, down-to-earth presentation, humor, and compelling understanding of music, social history, and his audiences made him an instant success” describe this relationship.  Erickson has reached out to diverse listeners through participation with Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour and the Xerox Pianist Program of Affiliate Artists, bringing programs to school children, residents of nursing homes, church groups and prisons.  He lives in suburban Philadelphia where he is active as an advisor to local performing groups and as a performer for charitable organizations.

Erickson is the recipient of many honors throughout his career and has won prizes at several international competitions including the Busoni Competition, the William Kapell Competition and the American Pianists Association auditions. He currently teaches piano at Rider University and Westminster Conservatory in Princeton.