Violinist Eliot Heaton is the current Concertmaster of the Michigan Opera Theatre, Des Moines Metro Opera, and the Saginaw Bay Symphony. He previously served as Concertmaster of the Terre Haute Symphony and Oberlin Symphony Orchestras, and has played as guest Concertmaster with the Lansing Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic.
Eliot’s recent solo appearance have included the Korngold Concerto with the Rochester Symphony, Bruch Concerto in G Minor with the Ypsilanti Symphony, the Stravinsky Concerto with the Indiana University Chamber Orchestra, and Eugene O’Brien’s Taking Measures with the Indiana University New Music Ensemble. He has also performed as a soloist with the Oberlin Sinfonietta, Terre Haute Symphony and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, and was a winner of the Kennedy Center International Young Soloist competition.
An active and enthusiastic chamber musician, Eliot appears regularly at the Geneva Music Festival and Manchester Summer Chamber Music festival, and has also performed at Kneisel Hall, Indiana University Summer Chamber Music, and the Anchorage Chamber Music Festival. He is also a founding member of the Bloomington Trio, which has been featured at the Kennedy Center, Oberlin Conservatory, and Indiana University as well as on multiple stages throughout the Midwest.
Eliot was a double major at Oberlin College and Conservatory, earning degrees in History and in violin performance, the latter with Professor Marilyn McDonald. He later received his Master of Music degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, studying violin with Professor Kevork Mardirossian and completing an outside area specialty in jazz studies. Besides his traditional performances, Eliot also dabbles in folk, bluegrass, and Irish fiddling.