Patrick Ernst

Pat Ernst started playing violin at age 10,  he learned fiddle music by ear and started performing by age 12. He grew up in Whitehorse Yukon where he had many opportunity to perform. Once Pat graduated high school he moved to Vancouver to pursue studies in music at Capilano colleg studying violin under the instruction of Nancy Dinovo.

He completed a Classical diploma at capilano college and got a job teaching violin at the Creatic music centre in north vancouver.   shortly after he auditioned and was accepted to the Jazz studies program where he studied with Ihor Kukarunda, Bill Coon and Nancy Dinovo as well as taking lessons on the side with Lache Cercel. He completed 3 years in the program and is looking forward to finishing a degree in Jazz studies.

For 3 seasons Pat was a member of the Vancouver philharmonic orchestra he played under the direction of Juan Castello (from spain) and has worked with conductors Bryan Deans, John Washburn, Risa Mcdonald, Richard Epp, Nancy Hermisten and the UBC Opera program.

In January 2004 he was featured in the Listen up festival produced by Sal Ferarez, In March the same year he got a huge break whith his band the whiskeydicks where they got a opening spot at the comodoor on st Patricks day.  SInce then Pat has performed with many groups in many venues, festivals and private functions in and around the lower mainland.

Currently Pat is involved with all kinds of different bands such as; Mariachi Romantico, Pearl jig(instrumental celtic/jazz fusion group), the Whiskeydicks(celtic punk), Cafe society (gypsy jazz trio), Rye n Hootch (world music duo), The Lache Cercels roma swing ensemble, Plastic Acid Rock Orchestra and Poema Flamenco(his favorite).