I performed dis(armed) by Yazz Lancaster with Nicholas Bruce for his Graduate Percussion Recital at UT Knoxville. The work explores gun violence from various perspectives, and it was a supremely introspective experience for me. This was the second US performance of the piece.
I had an amazing time on stage with Morgan Tao, Nick Bruce, Will Hoover, and Baldwin Rufino performing Bob Becker’s Girlfriends Medley. I’ve never played for such a participatory audience. Will and I also performed Nico Muhly’s A Hudson Cycle, which I dedicated to my friends Alex Richard, Wesley Fowler, and Ike Van de Vate, all of which just moved on to MM programs in other states. Other works included Gary Burton’s arrangement of Chega de Saudade, Russell Hartenberger’s Raghavan, Nicolas Martynciow’s Impressions, the prelude from Bach’s Fifth Cello Suite, and Carolyn Chen’s What we swallow turns around. I know I’ll cherish this performance for the rest of my life.
UT’s steelband played at the International Festival at the University of Tennessee just outside of the Humanities and Social Sciences building. The crowd loved the tunes, and the post-performance food was excellent!
I performed a send-off concert with my dear friend Wesley Fowler at Knoxville’s Honeybee Coffee (South). All of the pieces explored the environment’s effect on sound, and it has been one of my favorite shows to date. The concert closed with Reich’s Music for Pieces of Wood, hugs, and coffee.
I had a blast teaching at the Knoxville Sounds of Summer event hosted at Halls High School. It was a pleasure to work alongside Gifford Howarth and watch the students grow immensely in such a short period of time.
I facilitated a stress relief finals week drum circle at the Humanities and Social Sciences amphitheater at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It was a huge success, and I’m hoping this can become an annual event!
I performed Michael Daugherty’s Motown Metal on Paul Foster’s Graduate Conducting Recital. Paul and I have been good friends for a couple of years working together with the band program at UT. The piece was a blast, and the recital definitely ended with a bang!
The University of Tennessee steelband paired up with Eastern Kentucky and Appalachian State to perform several pieces in downtown Knoxville. The event was held at Historic Market Square, and the show was unforgettable!
I was fortunate enough to perform under Colonel John. R. Bourgeois, conductor of the United States Marine Band from 1979 to 1996, and to premiere a concerto for trumpet duet featuring long time band leader for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Doc Severinsen.
Performed Harlod Budd’s Jour and Into the Cloud with Budd and Mary Lattimore at the Church Street Methodist church in Knoxville, TN for the Big Ears Festival.
Performed Nigel Westlake’s Omphalo Centric Lecture, John Cage’s Third Construction, Georges Apherghis’ Les guetteurs de sons, and conducted the third movement of Eric Ewazen’s Palace of Nine Perfections. The performance took place at the Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center.
Performance of Nigel Westlake’s Omphalo Centric Lecture at the Tennessee chapter of the Percussive Arts Society’s Day of Percussion on the ensemble showcase concert. The event took place at Lee University in Cleveland, TN.
Performed Henryk Górecki’s Aria “operatic scene”, Op. 59 for euphonium, piano, and percussion on Max Dunlap’s graduate recital.
I had a blast performing the world premiere of Vicki Leona’s Serial Insomniac for vibraphone and fixed media at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Performed Knoxville's annual Phil Kline's Unsilent Night with Nief Norf throughout downtown. It was a blast once again, and I’m already looking forward to 2019!
I performed a showcase concert with the University of Tennessee Percussion Ensemble at PASIC in Indianapolis as part of the International Percussion Ensemble Competition. The ensemble won first place and played works by Iannis Xenakis, Aurél Holló & Zoltán Váczi, Evan Chapman, Annika Socolofsky, and John Psathas. I played Omar Carmenates’ arrangement of Psathas’ Piano Quintet, Xenakis’ “Melanges” from Pleiades, and Holló & Váczi’s Traditions Part I - THE WINNING NUMBER… / Jose beFORe JOHN7.
I performed a trio for euphonium, piano, and percussion on the third concert of the University of Tennessee’s Octubafest concert series. Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s Aria, “operatic scene” op. 59 was a blast to play and rehearse. I look forward to at least one more performance in the coming months.
Performed John Psathas’ Piano Quintet (1st movement), Iannis Xenakis’ Pleiades (Melanges), and Aurél Holló’s Traditions Part I - THE WINNING NUMBER… / beFORe JOHN7 for the Knoxville audience before the University of Tennessee Percussion Ensemble’ s PASIC showcase concert in Indianapolis.
Christian performed Traditions Part I - THE WINNING NUMBER… / beFORe JOHN7 by Aurél Holló and Zoltán Váczi at the University of Tennessee School of Music Colloquium. The performance was part of a showcase of student accomplishments in the school of music.
Christian performed “Melanges” from Iannis Xenakis’ Pleiades at the University of Tennessee’s annual Contemporary Music Festival. The performance capped off the first concert of a three day concert series.
