Michael Christie (conductor)
Encyclopedia
Michael Christie is an American conductor. He graduated from the Oberlin College
Conservatory of Music with a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance. His conducting teachers have included Peter Jaffe, Eiji Oue
, and Robert Spano
.
Christie first came to international attention in 1995 when he received a special prize for "outstanding potential" at the First International Sibelius Conductor’s Competition in Helsinki
at age 21. Following the competition, he became an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
and subsequently worked with Daniel Barenboim
, conducting both in Chicago
and at the Berlin State Opera
. From 1996 to 1998, he was associate conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic. Franz Welser-Möst
named Christie assistant conductor at the Zurich Opera for the 1997-98 season.
Christie has been music director of the Colorado Music Festival
in Boulder
since 2000. In October 2011, CMF announced that it has extended Christie's contract for five more years. In December 2004, Christie was appointed the 10th music director of the Phoenix Symphony
, with an initial contract of 5 years from 2005 to 2010. In February 2008, the orchestra announced the extension of his contract to 2015. In August 2005, Christie was named the 5th music director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic
, with an initial contract of 3 years. His first Brooklyn Philharmonic concert as music director was in February 2006. In September 2007, the Brooklyn Philharmonic announced the extension of Christie's contract with the orchestra through the 2009-2010 season, with an evergreen clause to allow for yearly renewal. His contract with the Brooklyn Philharmonic expired in June 2010.
From 2001 to December 2004, Christie was chief conductor of the Queensland Orchestra
. In 2006, he married in a ceremony in Australia.
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
Conservatory of Music with a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance. His conducting teachers have included Peter Jaffe, Eiji Oue
Eiji Oue
is a Japanese conductor.Oue began his conducting studies with Hideo Saito of the Toho Gakuen School of Music. In 1978, Seiji Ozawa invited him to spend the summer studying at the Tanglewood Music Center. While there, he met Leonard Bernstein, who became a mentor. Oue won the Tanglewood...
, and Robert Spano
Robert Spano
Robert Spano is an American conductor and pianist. Since 2001 he has been Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra , and he served as Music Director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic from 1996 to 2004...
.
Christie first came to international attention in 1995 when he received a special prize for "outstanding potential" at the First International Sibelius Conductor’s Competition in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
at age 21. Following the competition, he became an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
and subsequently worked with Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....
, conducting both in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and at the Berlin State Opera
Berlin State Opera
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden is a German opera company. Its permanent home is the opera house on the Unter den Linden boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, which also hosts the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra.-Early years:...
. From 1996 to 1998, he was associate conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic. Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst is an Austrian conductor who is currently the music director for the Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera.- Biography :...
named Christie assistant conductor at the Zurich Opera for the 1997-98 season.
Christie has been music director of the Colorado Music Festival
Colorado Music Festival
The Colorado Music Festival is a classical music festival in Boulder, Colorado. It was founded in 1976 by the Vienna-born conductor and violinist, Giora Bernstein and presents an annual summer season of concerts in Boulder's Chautauqua Auditorium performed by the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra...
in Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
since 2000. In October 2011, CMF announced that it has extended Christie's contract for five more years. In December 2004, Christie was appointed the 10th music director of the Phoenix Symphony
Phoenix Symphony
The Phoenix Symphony is a major United States symphony orchestra based in Phoenix, Arizona.Founded in 1947 when Phoenix had a population of less than 100,000, the orchestra began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year...
, with an initial contract of 5 years from 2005 to 2010. In February 2008, the orchestra announced the extension of his contract to 2015. In August 2005, Christie was named the 5th music director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic
Brooklyn Philharmonic
The Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, commonly known as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, is an American orchestra based in the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City...
, with an initial contract of 3 years. His first Brooklyn Philharmonic concert as music director was in February 2006. In September 2007, the Brooklyn Philharmonic announced the extension of Christie's contract with the orchestra through the 2009-2010 season, with an evergreen clause to allow for yearly renewal. His contract with the Brooklyn Philharmonic expired in June 2010.
From 2001 to December 2004, Christie was chief conductor of the Queensland Orchestra
. In 2006, he married in a ceremony in Australia.
External links
- Phoenix Symphony, biography of Michael Christie
- Colorado Music Festival page, with embedded link to Christie biography
- Michael Christie Web site
- Michael Christie at IMG ArtistsIMG ArtistsIMG Artists LLC is a top universal performing arts management corporation that was acquired by International Management Group in 1984. Chairman and CEO of IMG, Mark McCormack, bought out Hamlen/Landau, a small, New York based artist-management music agency, founded by Charles Hamlen and Edna...