Robert Erhard joined the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra as principal cello and member of the Dakota String Quartet in 2020 after serving as acting principal for the 2019-2020 season.  

Praised by Strings Magazine for "the practiced grace of a Martha Graham dancer: things that should be impossible, but are made to look easy - utterly natural," Erhard has enjoyed a diverse career performing as a chamber musician, soloist, orchestral musician and across a variety of musical genres.  

Prior to joining the SDSO, he served as cellist with both the Ceres Quartet and the Altius Quartet, performing in concert halls across the US for several years.  Memorable changer music experiences include perfomances with Emmanuel Ax and Anton Nel.  Recent highlihts as a soloist include performances with the SDSO and with Boulder Bach Festival.  During the summers, Erhard plays with Central City Opera, Lakes Area Music Festival and seeks other diverse performing opportunities across the country and abroad.  He is currently on faculty at Augustana University where he enjoys an active teaching schedule.  His summer festival credits include a String Quartet Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival, multiple summers at Kneisel Hall and participation in the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar.  

Erhard is fortunate to count among his most influential mentors memebers of the Celeveland, Juiliard, Pacifica, Takacs and Ying String Quartets.  He received his undergraduate degree from University of Colorado Boulder, and his Masters degree from the Eastman School of Music where he was teaching assistant to Alan Harris.

Passionate about expanding his musical horizons, Erhard has performed extensively across genres and finds the Lakota Music Project, a part of the Bridging Cultures program at SDSO, to be particularly rewarding and meaningful.