Eric Boruff is the music director and President of the Board of Directors for the Cornelius Youth Orchestras. Born in North Carolina but raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Eric returned to the Tar Heel state in May of 2016 after receiving his degree in music education. Primarily a violinist, he founded his own violin lesson studio in 2017. Since that time, Boruff Violin Studio has grown to include a team of teachers and has become one of the largest violin-exclusive lesson studios in North Carolina. His studio has welcomed world-renowned violinists as guest instructors for masterclasses and workshops, including Alexi Kenney and William Hagen. Mr. Boruff’s private students are regularly accepted into collegiate music schools across the country.

In December of 2017, Eric began working with the Cornelius Youth Orchestras as a violin section coach and guest conductor, and one year later he accepted his current position. Originally just one ensemble, under his leadership the CYO has seen explosive growth, more than quadrupling enrollment while adding six new performing ensembles and four educational programs featuring no-experience-required instructional classes for each of the instrument families.

Mr. Boruff spearheaded the launch of the LKN Musical Pathways Initiative in spring of 2024. This transformative project provided access and opportunity for music education to thousands of elementary-aged students in the Lake Norman region. Now an annual initiative, MPI opens doors for young students to learn a musical instrument, expanding the reach of music education in the greater Charlotte area.

Driven by the vision of fostering collaboration within the Charlotte music education community, Eric led the founding of the Carolina Youth Orchestra Summer Festival. This groundbreaking annual festival, created through partnerships with local youth orchestras and collegiate music departments, is a testament to the participating organizations’ commitment to providing the very best opportunities for the next generation of musicians.

In recognition of his significant contributions to the arts and education in the greater Charlotte region, Eric was honored as one of Charlotte’s Top 30 Under 30 Future Leaders in 2024.