Chris

Cello

Chris began his cello studies at age four, when his musician parents asked him to pick an instrument, and he picked cello because it was the largest one available. He made his solo debut with the Cleveland Orchestra when he was seventeen performing Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1. Chris continued to study cello performance and received a Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Paul Katz, and Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Julia Lichten.

Chris has performed favorably in a number of prestigious competitions including the Klein International String Competition, Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, youngARTS in Miami, and the Cleveland Cello Society Competition, in which he is the only competitor in the competition’s history to win every prize offered, including the Agnew Prize for Bach.

Chris is an avid improviser and advocate of new music, playing in avant-garde venues across the east coast. He has premiered many pieces by living composers, including works by Jeffrey Collazo, Max Grafe, and Emily Praetorius and has performed with new music ensembles Contemporaneous and ensemble mise-en. In 2013 Chris released his first album, ‘Dialectic’, which juxtaposes solo Bach and free-improvised reactions with pianist Zack Clarke.

Chris has taught the cello to students of all ages and experience levels. He emphasizes reading music, building solid basic technique and posture, achieving the appropriate quality of sound, and listening. He is committed to getting his students to a point where they can really enjoy playing cello and prides himself on his flexible approach that is tailored to individual students’ needs.