Erika Pierce is a passionate violist and dedicated music educator with a rich background in both performance and teaching. She studied viola performance and music education at the renowned Oberlin Conservatory, holds two master’s degrees from Chatham College, and is ABD in her pursuit of a Doctorate in Music Education. She had the privilege of studying with esteemed violists Thomas Dumm and Jeffrey Irvine.

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As a performer, Erika has had the opportunity to play under legendary conductors like Leonard Slatkin, David Lobel, and Kirk Muspratt. A National Solo Competition Semi-Finalist on viola in 1992, she has been a featured soloist with the Pittsburgh Philharmonic Orchestra multiple times and previously served as its principal violist. She has also performed with ensembles such as the Washington Symphony Orchestra, Butler Symphony, Undercroft Opera, St. Louis Opera, St. Louis Philharmonic, and the Chautauqua Choir. For almost two decades, she has also been a member of the Three Rivers String Quartet.

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Erika is equally passionate about music education. She has taught at the Oberlin Community Music School, Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Seton Center School of Music, and several Montessori schools. She is the founder and director of the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra’s Intermezzo Strings Ensemble and currently teaches middle and high school orchestra at Chartiers Valley, where she enjoys inspiring her students and fostering a love for music.

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Erika and her husband, Steve, are proud parents of three children, all of whom are musicians and members of PYPO.