THREE RIVERS
STRING QUARTET
About Us
Patrick Forsyth - Violin
Patrick received his Bachelor and Masters Degree in violin performance from the esteemed Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Patrick began violin studies at the age of three, and began performing professionally with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra at 16, becoming the youngest musician ever to occupy a position in the orchestra. Patrick studied with renowned world-class performers Oleh Krysa and Cyrus Forough, former pupils of the legendary Russian violinist David Oistrakh.
Patrick now lives in Pittsburgh, PA, serving as assistant conductor of the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra and the assistant director and 1st Violin Coach with the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. Patrick teaches a large studio of violin students both locally and internationally. Patrick actively performs with chamber groups, new music ensembles, and orchestras across the United States. In addition to his classical music training, Patrick is also an accomplished performer in jazz, pop, and fiddle music, and frequently arranges music from various genres for special events and weddings. His arrangements have been performed internationally in Australia, Great Britain, Sweden, Brazil, New Zealand, and the United States.
Christina Crivelli - Violin
Christina Crivelli received her Bachelors and Masters degree in Music Education with a concentration in Violin from Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she studied with violinist Dr. Stanley Chepaitis, former concertmaster of the Arkansas Symphony, and Alejandra Urrutia, concertmaster of the Concepcion Symphony Orchestra in Chile. She is currently working on her Doctorate degree. Christina has performed with the Pittsburgh Philharmonic Orchestra, serving as assistant concertmaster for a season, as well as the Johnstown Symphony and Washington Symphony Orchestras. Her performances have taken her overseas where she has performed at numerous concert halls in Germany, Austria and Prague. She has recorded with several local artists and has performed on stage with country singer LeAnn Rimes. She is the founding member of the Three Rivers String Quartet.
Christina currently serves as the PYPO Overture strings director, as a conductor with the PYPO Prelude Strings Ensemble and a violin coach with the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Crivelli is the Intermediate School strings teacher in the South Fayette School District. She maintains an extensive studio of violin and viola students in the South Hills of Pittsburgh and has worked with various orchestras in the Beaver, Washington, and Allegheny Counties. During the summers she coaches at the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic strings summer camp. She enjoys composing and arranging modern pieces for string quartet and her hobbies include finding old violins and violas in need of repair and bringing them back to life.
Dr. Erika Pierce - Viola
Erika Pierce attended Oberlin conservatory as a viola performance major and holds a doctorate in music from Liberty University. Erika's past teachers include prominent violists Thomas Dumm, former principal violist of the St. Louis Symphony, and Chatauqua Symphony Orchestra, as well as Jeffrey Irvine, former violists in the New World String Quartet and the principal violist in the Wichita Symphony. Erika has also played under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, David Lobel, and Kirk Muspratt. Erika was a National Solo Competition Semi-Finalist on viola in 1992 and has soloed with the Pittsburgh Philharmonic orchestra several times. She has held positions as the principal violist with the Pittsburgh Philharmonic and has performed with the Washington Symphony Orchestra, Butler Symphony, Chautauqua Choir, St. Louis Opera and the St. Louis Philharmonic. She has performed on viola for the Berkman Festival, the Surreal Ethereal Realists, Drywall Macbeth and was a featured performing artist on Tony Buba's recent film Playing to an Empty House.
Erika is the founder and conductor of the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra's Intermezzo Strings Ensemble and teaching middle and high school orchestra at Chartiers Valley School District. She was formerly on the music faculty of the Oberlin Community Music School, Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Seton Center School of Music, and the Glen Montessori School as a string, piano, and music and movement teacher. Erika also enjoys working with her extensive studio of private Violin and Viola students.
Steve Ehrlich - Cello
Steve Ehrlich is a graduate of Duquesne Unversity where he received his Masters in Cello Performance as well as degrees in Music Education. Steve has been performing as a freelance musician in Pittsburgh for the past 20 years performing with groups such as the Pittsburgh Symphony, Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Vincent Chamber Orchestra and as principal cello of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, performing various solos and concertos. Steve has performed with many artists including Josh Groban.
He is a private studio instructor on all stringed instruments. As a conductor, Steve has lead the Edgewood Symphony, Opus II String Sinfonietta, the Musik Innovations Chamber Orchestra, the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras Sinfoniette; and is currently the conductor of the Young Artists Orchestra at Carnegie Mellon University. Steve is also the Orchestra Director and Musical Conductor for the East Allegheny School District and District 1 Immediate Past President of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association.