About Chris

Originally from the San Francisco bay area, Chris Thompson performs an eclectic mix of orchestral, solo, and chamber music on both coasts and abroad, and has quickly become a fixture of the contemporary music scene in New York City.

Highlights of 2007 include performing on stage in the world premier of Tan Dun’s The First Emperor at the Metropolitan Opera, being a regular guest with the critically acclaimed contemporary chamber music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, and performing as a soloist numerous times with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble. He also composed, and did post-production for the score to the short film IF, directed by Teressa Tunney.

As a founding member of the percussion quartet Line C3, Chris has toured Japan, commissioned works from some of New York City’s best young composers, and has twice been in residence at the Juilliard School Summer Percussion Seminar. He is also a member of the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, which is dedicated to exploring the greatest masterpieces of 20th century chamber music.

Chris is active in New York City as a freelancer in orchestral music, contemporary chamber music, and theater, and has performed with the Lincoln Center Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Chamber Soloists, New York City Master Chorale, Stamford Symphony, Axiom Ensemble, Continuum, Dimpho Di Kopane, and Vermont Mozart Festival, among many others. He has recorded for numerous chamber music projects, as well as for BET and A&E Networks.

Chris holds a Master’s Degree from the Juilliard School, where he was a student of Daniel Druckman, a Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA in percussion performance and composition as a student of Mitchell Peters and Roger Bourland, and a Specialists Certificate in Electronic Music Production from the Berklee School of Music. Chris currently resides in Brooklyn where he spends his free time inventing funny techno music and trying to read Japanese Comics.