He is a lutenist and bass player who earned his Master’s degree in Music History at the University of Chicago, doing post-graduate studies with the musicologist Howard Mayer Brown.
He went on to perform both lute and bass with well known artists and ensembles that include Amherst Early Music, Early Music America, Lute Society of America and Mannheim Steamroller.
With his trio Entwyned Early Music he performs on a theorbo and archlute and as a soloist he has played solo literature for the Renaissance Lute.
He has been a lutenist and/or bass player on recordings that include Day Dreams by Ron Cooley, Fresh Aire, Fresh Aire II, Fresh Aire III, Fresh Aire 4, Fresh Aire V, Christmas, A Fresh Aire Christmas, Christmas Collection and 30/40 by Mannheim Steamroller, Classical Gas by Mason Williams and Mannheim Steamroller and Lieder Einer Sommernacht (Highights Deer Legendren Ziebergfestivals 1997-2004) and American Gramaphone Sampler 2 by various artists.
He also worked as an electronic resources co-ordinator for the Connecticut State Library before retirement in 2019.
Mannheim Steamroller recordings
Carol of the Birds(Traditional Catlonian)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Coventry Carol (Traditional English/Robert Croo/Thomas Mawdyke)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Deck the Halls (Welsh Traditional)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (Traditional/Emile Blemont/Marc-Antoine Charpentier/Louis-Denis Seguin)(English Translation: Edward Cuthbert Nunn)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional/Anonymous)
American Gramaphone Records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Good King Wenceslas (John Mason Neale)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
I Saw Three Ships (Traditional/Anonymous)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Wassail (Anonymous Middle Ages English/Ralph Vaughan Williams)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
We Three Kings (Rev. John Henry Hopkins Jr.)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Sources:
- https://www.entwynedearlymusic.org/About.html
- https://www.alumni.hartford.edu/s/1878/19/interior.aspx?sid=1878&gid=2&pgid=2567&content_id=4302
- https://lutesocietyofamerica.org/members/31282333/
- https://www.groupmuse.com/musicians/7537-eric-hansen
- https://www.earlymusicamerica.org/individual-directory/eric-hansen/
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-hansen-mn0000192665
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/302394-Eric-Hansen