Eric Sargon was born in Bombay in 1928 and took up the violin at the age of seven. He studied under a prizewinner of the Belgian Conservatoire and having attained the LRSM and FTCL diplomas on the violin came to England to study at the Royal College of Music. Despite his early training, Eric was encouraged to take up the viola at RCM and has not played the violin since!
Eric joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1952 and played 43 Proms seasons in succession. He was appointed Sub Principal cum Principal Viola for his last 25 years with the orchestra and toured extensively from America to the Far East, including communist Russia and China, playing under Bruno Walter, Rudolf Kempe, Klemperer, Boulez, Montreux and Sir Adrian Boult. Eric has also played with all the other major London Orchestras and is currently playing freelance and occasionally coaching string players.
Eric enjoys DIY, is mad about computers and also the acoustic properties of the viola but his longest standing hobby is photography - many of his pictures of famous composers and conductors taken during rehearsals were displayed at the Royal Festival Hall during the BBCSO's 50th anniversary.