Eric Funk Honorary Doctorate
Composer, retired Montana State instructor Eric Funk to receive honorary doctorate Dec. 15
By Greg Cappis, MSU News Service
SEPTEMBER 21, 2023
BOZEMAN — Composer Eric Funk didn’t quite hear what Montana State University President Waded Cruzado said as she delivered opening remarks ahead of an ensemble performance earlier this year featuring music written by Funk, a retired MSU instructor, television host and artistic director.
Eric Funk on the set of "The Violin Alone." Rick Smith photo.
After the concert, Funk’s friends and colleagues swarmed to congratulate him, but not for the music. Cruzado had, in fact, told the audience that Funk’s colleagues had nominated him for an honorary doctorate in arts from MSU, where he taught for 20 years. Today, the Montana Board of Regents approved the nomination, and Funk will be awarded the honorary degree during the fall commencement ceremony on Dec. 15 at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.
"Eric’s passionate lectures, deep knowledge and thoughtful guidance struck sparks in generations of students who left his classroom with a greater love of music and the power it can have in making the world better,” Cruzado said after Funk's nomination was approved. “Understanding music is understanding another way of thinking, of seeing the world and of describing it. Over the decades, few have shared this with our students and the public as well as Eric.”
Through teaching and his Montana PBS show, “11th and Grant,” Funk spent decades helping other artists realize their potential and gain recognition. Over the course of his life, he composed nearly 200 musical works, including concertos, symphonies and operas and received a mantel-full of regional Emmy Awards.
The honorary doctorate is especially meaningful to Funk because he worked for years to obtain a doctorate but fell short due to a neurological disease that necessitated four years of recovery, including relearning to walk.
“I love the fact that it’s coming from here and not one of my alma maters,” he said. “It’s cool to be an even deeper part of this university because I just believe in the mission.”
Funk began working at MSU’s School of Music in the College of Arts and Architecture in 2002, teaching composition classes and electives that were available to the entire student body, such as American Popular Music: a reflection of politics and society. His sometimes-raucous classes were among the most popular on campus. According to the registrar’s office, by the time Funk retired from MSU in 2022, an entire university’s worth of students — more than 17,000 — had taken his classes.
He also worked closely with music students on a personal level, nurturing their potential and connecting them with industry professionals.
After a lifetime in the industry, Funk has musical connections around the globe and particularly deep roots in his home state of Montana.
Jason Bolte, director of MSU’s music school, complimented Funk’s character and said his name “is synonymous with music in Montana.”
"He is simply an amazing person and a wonderful friend and supporter,” Bolte said. “He would do anything to help and support his students and colleagues.”
Born in Deer Lodge into a family of musicians, Funk performed at festivals and fundraising events before turning 10 years old. Although he was more than competent on the piano, guitar and a slew of other instruments, Funk was drawn to composing at a young age when he noticed the music in his imagination was different from what he listened to.
“I realized I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life playing other people’s music,” Funk said. “I wanted to create my own.”
He has written approximately 180 compositions. While he says he can’t pick a favorite – “They all are your favorite because when you’re doing it, you are just in it so deeply” – he is perhaps best known for writing a bold concerto in which a single violin player simultaneously performs the violin solo and the parts of all the other instruments in the symphony. He wrote the music in roughly a week, after seeing a performance by Hungarian violinist Vilmos Oláh.
Funk and Oláh worked together to perfect the piece before its debut in Budapest. Their preparation and the opening performance were chronicled in a 2017 Montana PBS documentary, “The Violin Alone.”
The film won awards at multiple film festivals and six regional Emmys in 2018, including one for Funk in musical composition.
He continues to work with Montana PBS on the program “11th and Grant,” which showcases performances by Montana artists who also sit for interviews with Funk. During its 14 seasons and counting, “11th and Grant” has won 11 regional Emmys, due in large part to Funk’s dedication to Montana music, according to Aaron Pruitt, director and general manager at Montana PBS.
“I truly believe that a large part of ‘11th and Grant’s’ success is a direct result of Eric’s heartfelt attention to the people both in front of and behind the cameras,” Pruitt said.
Funk travels the state to scout musicians before bringing them to the Montana PBS TV studio on the MSU campus to record an episode.
“This state is a treasure box full of talented musicians,” Funk said. “Every little town has got somebody.”
And the state has Funk, who recently donated his music collection and papers to the MSU Library. He continues to write music and intends to donate his future works to the collection.
“Eric Funk is a brilliant composer, musician, educator and one of Montana’s most recognized ambassadors for music performance in the region,” Pruitt said. “Along with his remarkable professional accomplishments, and a long list of national awards, Eric possesses an approachable, personable and generous nature in his daily interactions with neighbors and students, always reflecting positively on Montana and MSU.”