Eric Thompson

On Stage

Eric L. Thompson, III received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007, where he held the Robert Ehrman Fellowship. There he studied with Grammy Award Winning and MacArthur “Genius” Edgar Meyer and Harold Robinson, former principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In high school, Thompson studied with the late Ralph Jones, principal bass of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as a member of the Azira G. Hill Talent Development Program. Upon graduation from Curtis, he played full-time bass with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra prior to joining Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Thompson is the recipient of many awards. He is the first bassist to become a laureate of the Sphinx Competition, winning 3rd place, he was awarded 2nd place in the ASTA National Solo Competition, and he was awarded a musicians union scholarship from the American Federation of Musicians, and the rank of Eagle Scout by the National Eagle Scout Association of Boy Scouts of America. As a soloist, he has played on live television broadcasts, including on Good Morning Atlanta (WAGA-TV Fox 5), and has performed twice as a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. First performing the Koussevitzky Concerto with Alexander Mickelthwate conducting in 2002, and subsequently with Music Director Robert Spano conducting, performing Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, Op.47 in 2006 on the double bass (originally written for cello).

Thompson has substituted regularly with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 2004, and on occasion with the Boston and Charleston Symphony Orchestras. He has attended the Colour of Music Festival, Gateways Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute, Pacific Music Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and Tanglewood Music Center.

As a music educator, Thompson has been teaching orchestra at the Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology and Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School since 2013, and he has served as the Conductor for the Charlotte Symphony Youth Ensemble since 2021.

Outside the world of music, Thompson enjoys spending time with his wife Michelle, family, and friends. He enjoys watching financial markets and can often be found working on his car or projects around the house.