Eric Whitacre’s Virtual School offers direct access to practical and artistic insights gained over more than thirty years by one of the most frequently performed of all contemporary composers. The Beautiful Mess: Masterclass in Composition & Creativity comprises a dozen video masterclasses, in which Eric explores key concepts drawn from his personal approach to composition; an accompanying series of short videos entitled ‘Things I’ve Learned’; and comprehensive educational materials written by the acclaimed composer and teacher Emily Crocker and Dr Christopher Peterson (California State University, Fullerton). The Beautiful Mess is designed for students, educators, composers, performers, lifelong learners, and music-lovers of all ages and abilities.

Eric Whitacre

Composer, Conductor, Speaker

• Grammy Winner
• Top 10 Most Performed Contemporary Composer
• Yamaha Artist
• Over 80m Views on YouTube
• Former Composer-in-Residence at Cambridge University, UK
• The Juilliard School, New York, alumnus
• Creator of the Virtual Choir

Eric Whitacre is a Grammy Award-winning composer, conductor, innovator, speaker and lyricist. His compositions are performed worldwide and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united more than 100,000 singers from 145 countries over the last decade. An alumnus of New York’s renowned Juilliard School of Music, he stands among the Top 10 most frequently performed contemporary composers and recently joined the illustrious roster of Yamaha Artists, an accolade held by some of the world’s finest musicians.

As a guest conductor he draws capacity audiences to the stages of Carnegie Hall (New York) and Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles) through the Royal Albert Hall (London) and Opera House (Sydney). Most famed for his choral and orchestral works, he’s also written for feature film and collaborated with diverse artists including Hans Zimmer, Annie Lennox, Imogen Heap, Laura Mvula and John Powell.

Eric’s keynote addresses include TED.com mainstage presentations, the United Nations Leaders program, World Economic Forum (Davos), Apple and Google. Global corporations and educational institutions across the world have hailed his addresses as “life changing” and “inspirational”. His innovative choral library created with Spitfire Audio combines core musical values and great performances with mind-bending technology. Eric is currently working with Jack Trip Labs to develop a software that creates the experience of making music in the same room even when hundreds of thousands of miles apart.

A passionate supporter of the importance of music and the arts in education, his commitment to the ‘noble art’ of teaching is well documented and supported by his extensive pro-bono work in schools and colleges.