Photo: Eric Whitacre, Inc. and Binksternet (EWHITINC and Binksternet) / GFDL 1.2 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Eric Whitacre occupies a rare space, a contemporary composer whose choral writing actually reached a wide audience. Pieces like Sleep and Lux Aurumque have a shimmering, suspended quality that I find instantly recognizable, and his Virtual Choir projects pulled singers worldwide together long before that kind of thing was common. Coming out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, this Reno native built a career on making serious choral music feel accessible without dumbing it down. What I admire most is that he is also a compelling speaker and conductor, not just a name on a score. He genuinely widened the audience for choral music.
Overview
Eric Edward Whitacre (born January 2, 1970) is an American composer, conductor, and speaker best known for his choral music.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Eric Whitacre
- Name (Japanese)
- エリック・ウィテカー
- Reading
- えりっく・うぃてかー
- Born
- January 2, 1970 (age 56)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Dog
- Origin
- Reno, Nevada, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- conductor / composer / musicologist / choir director / physician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Douglas High School
- University
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Sleep | — | |
| Notable work | Lux Aurumque | — |
6. Links
Conductor — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.