Eric Banitt is an NYC-based musician originally from Marquette, MI. Growing up, Eric had a talent for music, playing violin, trumpet and piano. He steeped in the classical music tradition before taking an interest in jazz and improvised music.  Inspired by artists like Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, and Michel Camilo, Eric discovered a world of sounds and ideas previously unknown to him that transformed his concept of harmony, rhythm and spontaneity. During his undergraduate years at the University of Michigan, Eric had the fortune of studying with the creative minds of Ellen Rowe, Andy Milne, Dennis Wilson, Andrew Bishop, Robert Hurst and Martin Katz. Eric’s passion lies in the mysterious moments of frisson that bond the audience and performer.

Eric won the 2022 Downbeat Student Music Award for his big band arrangement, “Darn That Dream” and a 2024 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award for his original composition, “Give Me a Break”. In 2024, Eric was commissioned to compose a new work for the New York Youth Symphony Jazz Band. After graduating, Eric joined the North American Tour of The Lion King, playing the Keyboard 1 book. Most recently, Eric and his wife, Sarah, wrote and performed “Young and Foolish: A Love Story Through Song”, a duo-cabaret telling the story of their relationship through songs by George Gershwin, Burt Bacharach, Carole King and more.