Rising Stars in...Communications/Public Affairs

Eric M. Gewirtz
Director of Media and Public Relations at Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.

Eric Gewirtz has overseen publicity and marketing for Boosey & Hawkes’s American (North and South) operations since November 2010. A native New Yorker, he has a background made to order for music PR work: he has two bachelors’ degrees, one in music performance in percussion, the other in journalism and public relations.

As a student at Arizona State University (“I thought it would be good to get out of New York for a couple of years and experience someplace else”), Gewirtz did a summer internship with the New York Philharmonic, “and it left a very positive impression on me. I definitely felt this was the direction I wanted to go.”

After school, he worked in PR for Ruder Finn Arts & Communications, then moved to the Philharmonic when a position opened up. Gewirtz stayed for five years, becoming assistant director for public relations, media, and touring.

“The biggest difference between my previous experience and the work I do now is that I no longer promote just one ensemble or musician,” he says. Rather, Gewirtz supports all the groups that perform works by the composers he represents. He points to the recent campaign honoring Steve Reich’s 75th birthday. Using groups like the Kronos Quartet, eighth blackbird, and other artists who were performing Reich’s work during the anniversary year, Gewirtz and his colleagues created a series of short videos, called “Minute Reich,” for presenters to use. As a result, he says, “Steve ended up as the focus of several significant media features, while the presenters were able to share our unique content to promote their concerts, educate audiences, and sell tickets.”

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Sarah Bryan Miller, a former professional mezzo-soprano, is the classical music critic of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.