Hahn, Christopher
Dr. Christopher Hahn has performed as a solo and collaborative artist throughout North America and Europe. As a guest of the American Embassy in Sarajevo, he presented a concert tour of Bosnia-Herzgovenia with performances in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and at the Luciano Pavarotti Center in Mostar. The recitals were highly anticipated and elicited enthusiastic responses: “a stellar performance...combining technical proficiency with a mature musicality.” [Vercernje Novosti, Sarajevo].
Christopher has been featured in recital at Carnegie Hall—Weill Recital Hall, The Music Gallery in Toronto, the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival, the National Saxophone Conference at Northwestern University, the International Horn Competition of America, and the Society of Composers, Inc. National and Regional Conferences. He has been invited to present recitals and master classes at Interlochen Arts Academy, Stanford University, Ithaca College, North Carolina School of the Arts, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, and the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire. He has performed with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Greater Lansing Symphony Orchestra, and the Missoula Symphony Orchestra, and has worked with conductors Gustav Meier, Joel Levine and Noel Edison.
As a collaborative artist, he won the silver medal at the 2008 International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition in Boston, and was a winner of Canada’s NUMUS Chamber Music Competition for New Music. He has had the honor of performing for the Archbishop Desmond Tutu with the Metropolitan Opera’s Leona Mitchell, and has also performed with such recognized artists as flutist Christina Jennings, trumpet/piano virtuoso Guy Few, pianist Lydia Brown, cellist Amit Peled, and Russian dissident poet, Evgeny Yevtushenko. Recently, he was invited by Grammy-winning composer Libby Larsen to make a commercial recording of her piano duet, Gavel Patter.
Christopher performs frequently with Karen Beres throughout the US and Canada as a member of the award-winning CanAm Piano Duo. Together they perform a varied repertoire of new works and masterpieces of the twentieth century alongside more traditional works for the genre, and are actively involved in promoting and performing contemporary composers. The Duo recently received a grant from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts to commission a large-scale work for two pianos and percussion from internationally renowned composer David Maslanka, which will be premiered in the 2009-10 concert season.
A native of Canada, Christopher pursued his early training through the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Ontario and received the Associate Diploma in performance with first-class honors, and has since furthered his study of performing and teaching in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Christopher has earned the highest honor given by Trinity College of Music in London, England by obtaining both the Licentiate and Fellowship Diplomas in performance. His mentors include Ralph Votapek, Edward Gates, Sonja Behrens, Jamie Parker, Lucien Hut and Virginia Blaha. Additional performance studies include sessions at the Orford Center for Advanced Musical Studies in Québec (Anton Kuerti), the Adamant Music School (Menahem Pressler), the University of Michigan (Louis Nagel), the Royal Conservatory of Music (Andrew Markow), and private study in Verneuil-sur-Avre, France (Jean-Paul Sevilla). He has coached with Yefim Bronfman, Constance Keene, Angela Cheng, Yong Hi Moon, and Marilyn Horne, and has received extensive chamber music coaching from members of the Penderecki String Quartet and the Gryphon Trio.
An active teacher, adjudicator and clinician, Christopher is a member of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music. He is a nationally certified teacher of music (NCTM) and is President of the Montana State Music Teachers Association. Christopher is frequently engaged at regional, national, and international conferences and has been a featured presenter at the Glenn Gould Professional School, the Royal Conservatory of Music Art of Teaching Conference in Toronto, the University of Oklahoma Seminar for Piano Teachers, the Summer Music Institute in St. Paul, MN, the Oklahoma and Montana Music Teachers Association state conventions, Louisiana State University, and the MTNA National Convention in 2004 (Kansas City) and 2008 (Denver). His students have been featured on the NPR program, From the Top, and as finalists in the 2007 MTNA Chamber Music Competition in Toronto, Canada. He has been published in Piano Pedagogy Forum and American Music Teacher, and is listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Educators. He recently received an award for Meritorious Teaching & Creative Activity from the University of Montana.
Christopher is an assistant professor of piano at the University of Montana where he teaches piano, piano pedagogy, accompanying, and serves as the artistic director of the UM Contemporary Chamber Players. He also served on the piano faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp for several years.