Music

Eric Choate

Eric Choate enjoys a dynamic career as a concert organist, conductor, and composer. As an award-winning composer, he "commands a highly inventive approach to the interleaving of polyphonic voices" (Smoliar, The Rehearsal Studio), and his compositions have been lauded as being "rapturous," and "quietly majestic" (Textura.org). His works have been performed internationally by renowned artists including VOCES8, musicians of the San Francisco Symphony, American Bach Soloists, Las Cruces Symphony, Frederica von Stade, Johann Vexo, Vancouver Chamber Choir, Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge, Brian Thorsett, Emil Miland, John Churchwell, Friction Quartet, One Found Sound, and others. His music is published by E.C. Schirmer and VOCES8 Publishing, and recordings of his work have been released on Arsis Audio and Ulysses Arts labels.

Eric is in demand internationally as a choral and orchestral conductor. Recent engagements include the Göteborgs Symfoniska Kör & Vokalensemble in Gothenburg, Sweden, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Berkeley Symphony Chorus, and the Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra. From 2019-2022, he was the 10th Artistic Director of the San Francisco Boys Chorus, who under his direction performed with the San Francisco Opera, the San Francisco Symphony, and Apollo5.

Eric is professor of Choral and Organ music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and performs concerts across America and Europe. In the summer of 2023, he was awarded a grant to study improvisation in the French style with Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin in Paris. He holds the Fellowship Certificate (FAGO) from the American Guild of Organists.

Graduating with Departmental Distinction, Eric earned his Bachelor of Arts in Theory and Composition from St. Olaf College. He was awarded a fellowship to study harmony and counterpoint at the European American Musical Alliance in Paris. He holds a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with David Conte. Eric lives in San Francisco with his wife, acclaimed soprano Ellen Leslie.

Marla Perkins

Marla is a pianist who brings to St. Mary’s an extensive background in piano performance and music teaching. She fell in love with music as a preschooler singing with her mother at the piano. Piano studies began at age 5 leading to an Assoc. with The Western Board and B. Mus. from Brandon University, Canada. She received her M.M. from Hartt School of Music, Univ. of Hartford, studying under Anne Koscielny and Raymond Hanson, and Prof. Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Paul Hersh. Additional training was at the Guildhall School, Internationale Sommer Akademie Mozarteum, Johannesen Int’l Summer School, The Banff Center, and private study with Diana Lawton and Sir Kendall Taylor.

Marla has performed as soloist, piano duo partner, chamber musician, and accompanist for professional instrumentalists and singers, choirs, and ballet classes. She has also enjoyed work in musical theater. Marla has taught piano and music since age 17 to students of all ages in private lessons, theory classes, ensemble coaching, a vibrant nursery school program, and for those with learning differences. While raising her family in San Francisco she worked with young musicians through Villa Sinfonia, ACT, SFCM’s Summer Music West, several private schools, and her own studio.

Her music has been influenced by years of figure skating, love of nature, a keen interest in mind-body-spiritual connection and healing, and Eastern practices. Marla and Barry are grateful to have had the nurturing community of St. Mary’s in raising their two children to adulthood.