Career
Christopher Morris has conducted both across the United States and in Europe. He studied conducting at New England Conservatory (NEC) with Richard Pittman and in studio with Benjamin Zander. He was Graduate Assistant to Frank L. Battisti for two years during his Master's program in Wind Conducting at NEC. He was John Paynter's Graduate Assistant while pursuing his Doctorate in Conducting at Northwestern University School of Music and also studied orchestral conducting with Victor Yampolsy there.
His resume includes:
- Founder, Lexington Youth Orchestra (Lexington, Massachusetts);
- 1978-1980: Director, Milton Academy Orchestra (Milton, Massachusetts.)
- 1979–1981: Assistant Conductor, New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, with which he premiered Thomas McKinley's Concerto for Orchestra (won critical acclaim) and also performed with Charles and Heidi Castleman in Mozart's Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra. ("A sound and altogether credible conductor" – Boston Globe)
- 1980: Guest Conductor, Tufts University Wind Ensemble;
- 1980–1983: Director, Musique Moderne.
He was also Assistant Conductor of the Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble, including concert tours to France and Italy (1978-1982); Director of the Schoolcraft College Community Wind Ensemble (1988 Livonia, Michigan); Guest Conductor, Northwestern University Wind Ensemble (1990); Clinician, Wayne State College, Nebraska (1992); Assistant Visiting Professor for Director of Cortland College Community Orchestra, Cortland College Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble (1993-1994); Tompkins-Cortland Community College Chorus (1993-1994, New York); Guest Conductor, Ratingen Brass Ensemble, Dusseldorf, Germany (2011).
Morris has had original compositions performed in Boston and greater Boston, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Rome, Italy; Paris, France; and Dusseldorf, Germany. He studied composition with Paul Lansky at Merrywood Music School in Lenox, Massachusetts; and English Composers Justin Connolly (Merrywood) and Alexander Goehr (NEC). He was a student for five years with Robert DiDomenica (Schoenberg Harmonielehre, counterpoint, classical form and serial music) at NEC. He also studied for two years with M. William Karlins (Northwestern University School of Music).
He has been commissioned by the Chicago Area Chapter of the American String Teachers Association through the Teacher-Composer Alliance Program. He has composed works performed by international oboist Fredric Cohen, international Trumpet soloist Frank Dueppendbecker, and was commissioned by international tuba soloist Samuel Pilafian. His work Californian Landscapes written for solo oboe, harp and band, won special acclaim in Paris. He was commissioned by the Boston University Alumni Band for the Boston University Graduation Ceremony. He wrote the music for a television series produced by WNAC (CBS Affiliate) Boston titled The Story Lady. He also wrote an original score for Darkside of the Moon, a production of the SUNY Cortland College Drama Department. His compositions have been performed by the Concord (Massachusetts) Community Band, The Portland (Maine) Youth Symphony, the Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble, The New England Conservatory Youth Orchestra, the Lowell University Wind Ensemble, The Schoolcraft College (Michigan) Wind Ensemble, The Cortland (New York) Community Orchestra, the Boston University Concert Band, the Boston University Tuba Ensemble, the Northwestern University School of Music Wind Ensemble and the Ratingen (Germany) Brass Ensemble. Most recently (October 2012) his Sonata for Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Piano and Percussion was premiered in Dortmund, Germany by Trumpeter Frank Dueppendbecker and received critical acclaim.
Morris is a member of The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. Visit ascap.com for more information.
Christopher Morris has taught trumpet for the Newton, Massachusetts Public Schools (1972-1975) and the Bedford, Massachusetts Public High School (1972- 1976). He taught for two years at Milton Academy (Milton, Massachusetts) as conductor of the orchestra and chamber music (1977- 1979). He founded and directed the Lexington, Massachusetts Youth Orchestra (1975-1977), as well as the Newton Brass Ensemble (1975- 1982). He taught conducting at the NEC Preparatory School (1979-1981). He was Director of the Amherst Music center (Maine) Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. As Director of Special Events at NEC, he coordinated a tour with the NEC Symphony Orchestra to Evian, France which included performances with Martha Argerich, Olivier Messiaen, Mstislav Rostropovich, Benjamin Zander and Krystian Zimerman. He was also Assistant Conductor of the NEC Symphony Orchestra (1979-1982). He brought jazz great Max Roach to NEC/ for an honorary doctorate and performance.
He spent four years as Assistant Director of the School of Music at the Boston University School of Fine Arts, where he coordinated events with Leonard Bernstein, Melina Mercouri and Phyllis Curtain, to name a few. He served on the Music Faculty of Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan) teaching orchestration and theory classes, and was Music Director of the Schoolcraft College Community Wind Ensemble in Livonia, Michigan. In 1989 he began doctoral studies at Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois) and studied conducting with John Paynter and Victor Yampolsky. There, he taught graduate level conducting classes. After receiving his doctorate in conducting in 1993, he was a visiting Professor at SUNY Cortland. He then wrote and taught a music and technology curriculum for K-8 at Timber Ridge Magnet School in Skokie, Illinois. He received a graduate degree in Educational Leadership from National Louis University and became an Assistant Principal at St. Gilbert School in Grayslake, Illinois for four years. He moved back to New England, settling in Southwestern New Hampshire, where he has continued his studio practice, composing and most recently, he was appointed the first music teacher for The Virtual Learning Academy Charter School of New Hampshire.