Eric Crees

Eric Crees (born 1952) was appointed Principal Trombone of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London) in 2000. Before that he spent twenty-seven years at the London Symphony Orchestra, twenty as Co-Principal Trombone. He is also a noted brass conductor, composer, arranger and teacher.

Education Eric Crees was born in London in 1952 and studied at Wandsworth School, where he worked with professional orchestras & conductors in the boy's choir. Of particular importance was the school's long association with Benjamin Britten, who wrote a solo part for Eric in Children's Crusade.

While at school he was awarded a scholarship to study part-time at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. He went on to study music at the University of Surrey and undertook an extensive period of work with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. He also won the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society's 'Joyce Dixey Award' for composition. Upon graduation he joined the London Symphony Orchestra.

Other arrangements include Aaron Copland's El Salon Mexico and Charles Ives' Variations on 'America'. Crees also prepared a Performing Edition and directed the LSO Brass in a trio of CDs for Naxos covering the complete instrumental music by Giovanni Gabrieli. the impressionism of Claude Debussy and the syncopated rhythms of Scott Joplin, as well as Auric, Milhaud and Satie. The CD is published on the MPR label.

Composer

Recent original compositions include

Silk Street Stomp written for the Guildhall School of Music Big Band Two Antiphonal Fanfares Frighteners' Gallop for 8 horns commissioned by the British Horn Society Orage for 16 trombones, written for Bone Lab and premiered at the Dartington Summer School Processional for PJ written for large brass ensemble in memory of Philip Jones, The Birth of Conchobar for symphonic brass and percussion commissioned by the Ulster Youth Orchestra Three Sketches from Rackham for flute and harp. Flourish for solo trombone Carillons for six harps.

Juror Crees is a juror for international competitions, such as the Donatella Flick Conducting competition, the Leonard Bernstein Conducting Competition, in Jerusalem, the Narbonne International Quintet Competition, the National Brass Championships, the European Brass Band Championships and the All England Masters Brass Band Championship.

Recordings Berg Kammerkonzert - Abbado, LSO (1985, Sony SMK64504) Mahler Symphony No. 3 - Tilson Thomas, LSO (1987, CBS M2K44553, deleted) American Brass - Crees, LSO Brass (1991, Collins Classics; re-issued 2013, Alto/Musical Concepts) Cathedral Brass - Crees, LSO Brass (1991, Collins Classics) Gabrieli Music for Brass, Vol. 1-3 - Crees, LSO Brass (1995-7, Naxos 8.553609 etc.) London Trombone Sound (1995, Cala CACD 0108)