Eric & Arkadiy!

Eric Gnezda and Arkadiy Gips combine elite songwriting with virtuoso musicianship.

Eric is an award-winning singer-songwriter and the creator and host of Songs at the Center, a TV series that airs on over 400 PBS stations across America. Arkadiy, a violinist from Ukraine, was a featured musician on two of Madonna’s world tours, and brings his audiences a blend of folk, Gypsy, Americana and country music.

Together, they are dynamic, as audiences around the country will tell you!

Eric writes and performs a wide range of songs, from inspirational anthems and love songs that touch the heart and soul to country tearjerkers and comedic/satirical numbers. He has played at Nashville’s iconic venue, The Bluebird Café, approximately 40 times, and is a recipient of the Ohioana Citation for Music Composition, joining other recipients, Michael Feinstein (American Songbook), Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane), and Chip Davis (Mannheim Steamroller).

Arkadiy teamed up with multi-Grammy winner, Janis Ian, in her “Better Times to Come” project during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. He is a graduate of the prestigious Rostov Music Conservatory.

Among Eric’s many achievements, he charted a Number One bluegrass hit, “Unfinished Bridges,” which he co-wrote with “Brink” Brinkman, and was recorded by Rock Hearts. Two of his ballads, “Daddy’s Wheels,” and “Separation,” won Philby awards from Phil Maq on Detroit-area radio, WHFR-FM, who deemed them two “of the best songs ever recorded.” 

In addition to his performances on Songs at the Center, his songs have been featured on broad media, such as ESPN, Entertainment Tonight, Car Talk, and NPR's All Things Considered. His anthem, "Everyone Wins" has been used nationally to promote the Special Olympics, while "Blossoms of Hope" has been a favorite among cancer survivors through the U.S. and Canada.

In its 11th season, Songs at the Center is a performance-interview series that has featured such notable artists as John Oates, Janis Ian, Ray Stevens, Ruthie Foster, Rodney Crowell, Suzy Bogguss, Molly Tuttle, Gretchen Peters, Tom Paxton, and many others. 

Eric earned an MFA in creative writing from the Rainer Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University and has just completed a memoir, which will be published soon by Sunbury Press.

Eric and Arkadiy bring aesthetic value to your venue through their seasoned, thoughtful, and heartfelt music.