Finnish-American conductor Erik Ochsner’s versatility as a conductor has stretched across a broad range of repertoire: from conducting as few as five performers in contemporary and modern works, to leading 300 performers across 16 full length films using the Live in Concert format. As Principal Touring Conductor for La La Land Live in Concert, Ochsner conducted 50 performances worldwide of Justin Hurwitz’s Academy Award and Grammy Award winning score. From Montreal to Melbourne and Moscow; from Stockholm to San Diego and Sofia, Bulgaria – audiences and critics alike have been praising Ochsner’s energy, attention to detail and precise synchronization.
Upcoming performances include E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars 4: A New Hope, Star Wars 6: Return of the Jedi, and Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens.
Ochsner conducted the world premiere of Mary Poppins (1964) with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House; made his debut with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducting Love Actually; on 40 hours’ notice, he flew to Taipei to conduct Beauty and the Beast in Concert to fill for an ailing colleague; at the Nanjing Forest Music Festival in China, he conducted a concert of 18 suites of Hollywood film music; Music Director of the 2017 Opera America New Works Showcase in New York City. In collaboration with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Ochsner led the premiere of The Music of Star Wars featuring the iconic music of John Williams, as well as video game composers Gordy Haab and Kyle Newmaster.
Ochsner’s long relationship with the Krakow International Film Music Festival have been hugely successful leading sold-out performances in a 16,000-seat arena of Pixar in Concert, Frozen and Beauty and the Beast (both performed in Polish), plus Disney in Concert: The Magic of Music with the Krakow Film Festival Youth Orchestra.
Film projects he has conducted include: Back to the Future, Beauty and the Beast (2017), Batman (1989), Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Frozen, Ghostbusters, La La Land, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Love Actually, Mary Poppins (1964), Pirates of the Caribbean, Pixar in Concert, Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Wars 4: A New Hope, Star Wars 5: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars 6: Return of the Jedi.
Equally comfortable on the concert stage or leading opera, oratorio and multi-media performances, he has performed in Adelaide, Athens, Beijing, Budapest, Calgary, Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jakarta, Kitchener-Waterloo, Krakow, Leipzig, Louisiana, Melbourne, México City, Montreal, Monterrey, Moscow, Nashville, New York, Ottawa, Portland, Reykjavik, Richmond, Rochester, Round Top, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Seoul, Shanghai, Sofia, South Bend, St. Louis, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Sydney, Taipei, Tampere, Tokyo, Vancouver, Wellington, Youngstown.
He is Founder and Music Director of SONOS Chamber Orchestra which performed Rite of Spring in an arrangement for 4 pianos and 2 percussionists. The New York Times said, “All the hallmarks of a great “Rite” were here.”
During an 8-year collaboration, Ochsner served as Rehearsal Conductor for Academy Award winning composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Highlights include Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master for The First Emperor workshop, a Metropolitan Opera commission, and Cover Conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of The Map, a multimedia cello featuring Yo-Yo Ma, with performances in Boston, Carnegie Hall, and Tanglewood.
The Bulgarian Monitor said, “Sensuality and synchronicity, matched by perfection, accompanied each of the melodies during La La Land: Live in Concert.” Radio Canada wrote, “[Ochsner] was of remarkable precision to the musical direction…the music of the orchestra seemed to emanate from the film. There was no distinction between the screen and the stage.” The Ontario Arts Review has said “Watch this man, he is brilliant.”
Recordings include Brian Wilbur Grundstrom: An Orchestral Journey (CD), and Tea: A Mirror of Soul (DVD).
Ochsner attended The Pierre Monteux School and is a graduate of Dartmouth College. He speaks French, German and Italian. His mentors and teachers included Robert Spano, Charles Bruck, Erich Kunzel, Marin Alsop and Helmuth Rilling. He lives in New York City, loves travelling, wine and collecting requiem recordings.