Erik Peters is the Executive Director of Balkan Night Northwest. He is a life-long musician and has been attending cultural events in the Montlake neighborhood since his parents took him to their neighborhood Greek Festival at St. Demetrios in a stroller. Erik has been collaborating on events with Ruth Hunter the Govetas Family since 2014. He brings his love of Balkan music to the event along with professional experience in event organizing.

Erik became enamored with pan-Balkan musical traditions as a founding member of the Bucharest Drinking Team in 2010, eventually leading him to join Orkestar Zirkonium, and found his own Romani-style brass band, The m9, in 2013. Erik has since studied abroad in Serbia and North Macedonia with legendary Romani musicians such as Demiran Ćerimović, Ferus Mustafov, and Dzambo Agusev, as well as attending numerous Balkan music festivals and workshops along the way. In addition to performing, Erik has served on the staff of festivals and events across the West Coast, including as a stage manager for Ederlezi in Vancouver, as an instructor at Balkanalia, and as the director of event operations for HONK! Fest West in Seattle.

Outside of the Balkan community, Erik helps organize an annual tech conference in Santa Clara, California, and manages volunteers for the Burning Man Project. He currently performs with Seattle’s Tribute to the Last Waltz.