Eric Lechliter is an in-demand professional musician, arranger and educator based in Cincinnati, OH. As an active trumpet player, he plays frequently around the greater Cincinnati area. He has shared the stage with international recording artists including Jeff Hamilton, Conrad Herwig, John Fedchock, Chris Vadala, Greg Gisbert, Terell Stafford, Byron Stripling, Bobby Broom, Barry Ries, Alex Norris, The Four Tops and the Temptations to name a few.
As an arranger/composer, his music has been performed by several Tri-State groups of varying genres, including the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Schoolhouse Symphony. His big band music has been performed by many local ensembles in addition to international performances in Brazil, England and Norway. In 2016, he founded The Original Farm League Big Band, an ensemble dedicated to performing original music by living Cincinnati-based composers. In 2019, he began work as the Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. In 2022, CCJO released its first album We Are the CCJO, which is comprised entirely of Eric’s original compositions and arrangements.
In addition to his playing and writing career he has maintained a busy schedule as a Jazz clinician, professor and private teacher. From 2017-2022 he led the Xavier Jazz Orchestra as an adjunct professor at Xavier University in Norwood, OH. Currently, Eric teaches as an adjunct instructor in the Jazz, Commercial Music Production and Preparatory departments at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
Eric received a Bachelor’s degree in music education with a Jazz specialization in 2015, and a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies in 2024, both from CCM.