Red Dog Ensemble

Eric Huckins is a french horn player, music educator, and entrepreneur dedicated to sharing classical music through creative programming and presentation creating emotionally engaging relevant experiences for audiences.

Hailed for his “sparkling, crystal clear sound” (Brass Legacy) New York-based french horn player Eric Huckins is a winner of Astral Artist’s 2018 National Auditions. Eric is the first horn player to be a part of their roster.

Passionate about making classical music accessible to local communities, Eric is the co-founder of Long Island Chamber Music, an organization that provides exceptional classical music concerts, community events, educational programs, and private lessons for Long Island communities.

An advocate for new music, Eric’s debut album ‘Drifter’ which features 8 new works for the horn was recently released April 2021 on Summit Records. In addition to commissions for the horn as a solo instrument, Eric regularly commissions and arranges new works for the horn in chamber settings. Alongside composer Nick DiBerardino and his former ensemble The Brass Project, Eric curated an initiative, called “Cityscaping,” generating thirty-five new pieces of engaging civic music for outdoor performance, including works by Pulitzer Prize-winner Aaron Jay Kernis, Rome Prize winner Sean Friar, and Princeton Professor Emeritus Paul Lansky. Praised as “great fun” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, the project culminated in new music concerts in dozens of schools, public spaces, and non-traditional concert venues.

In traditional performance settings, Eric is currently Principal Horn of Symphony in C and has appeared with orchestras throughout the United States and internationally such as American Symphony Orchestra, The Netanya Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. He has been a featured artist at various chamber music festivals including Music from Angel Fire, Ostrava Days, and Cape Cod Music Festival.

As a chamber musician, Eric was a founding member of The Brass Project and Tangent Winds who was a prize winner at The Fischoff Competition. He has also toured the United States extensively with Frisson Ensemble and The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass.

In commercial settings, Eric has performed with Kanye West, Amos Lee, and on various broadway shows including Kiss Me Kate and My Fair Lady.

With historically informed ensembles Eric has performed on classical and baroque horns including Clarion Music Society, Philadelphia’s Bach Collegium and Teatro Nuovo Opera Orchestra.

Eric received his Bachelor’s Degree from Curtis Institute of Music and his Master’s degree from The Juilliard School. Outside of his musical life, Eric loves spending time with his wife and violinist, Gergana, their dog, Scuttles, and is an avid guacamole enthusiast.