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. As a musician and educator Eric is dedicated to sharing classical music through creative programming and presentation to create emotionally engaging relevant experiences for audiences.

An advocate for new music, Eric’s debut album ‘Drifter’ which features 8 new works for the horn was released April 2021 on Summit Records. Most recently, Eric led a 10-person consortium to commission composer and hornist Jeff Scott to write his piece ‘Trail of Tears’ which Eric premiered in Philadelphia in May 2023. 

Eric was Principal Horn of Symphony in C from 2018 - 2022 and has performed with orchestras throughout the United States and internationally including the Philadelphia Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, New York City Ballet Orchestra, and as principal horn with Philadelphia Ballet. He has been a featured artist at various chamber music festivals including Music from Angel Fire, Ostrava Days in the Czech Republic, and Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival. As a chamber musician, Eric was the founding member of The Brass Project and a founding member of Tangent Winds who was a prize winner at The Fischoff Competition in 2018. He has also toured the United States extensively with Frisson Ensemble and The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass.

Eric has performed on a variety of shows on Broadway including Funny Girl, Into the Woods, Kiss Me Kate, My Fair Lady, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. 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.

Passionate about sharing classical music with his local community on Long Island, Eric is the Executive and Artistic Director of Long Island Chamber Music, an organization that provides world-class classical music concerts, community events, and educational programs for Long Island communities.

As a proud music educator, Eric is currently the Director of Band and Instrumental Music at The Green Vale School. He also maintains a studio of over 20 brass students who regularly achieve the highest ratings from the NYSSMA Solo and Ensemble Festival and regularly take part in all-county and all-state ensembles.

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 outdoors in the garden or on a walk with his wife and violinist, Gergana, their dog, Scuttles, and is an avid guacamole enthusiast.