Christopher Whitley

Praised for his “quicksilver brilliance” (Chicago Tribune) and described as “…a sound magician with a deep understanding of composers’ intentions” (The Whole Note), Canadian violinist Christopher Whitley is an engaging and versatile performer, committed to exploring and performing music of all styles. 

As a founding member of the Thalea String Quartet, Christopher has performed recitals across North America, Europe, and China, and has appeared at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Massey Hall. The quartet has shared the stage with members of the Emerson, Brentano, Kronos, and St Lawrence String Quartets, and they have performed alongside celebrated artists including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, violist Lawrence Power, acclaimed Canadian band BADBADNOTGOOD, and visionary R+B artist Charlotte Day Wilson. The Thalea String Quartet was named the first string quartet-in-residence at the San Francisco Conservatory and served as the Doctoral Fellowship String Quartet at the University of Maryland from 2020-2023. From 2018-20, they were the Young Professional String Quartet at the University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music, where they were mentored by the acclaimed Miró Quartet. They were named Associated Artists at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel for the 2018/19 season, where they were mentored by the Artemis Quartet. 

In addition to his activities with the Thalea String Quartet, Christopher is a member of Colour of Anyhow, a multi-instrumental duo founded with his wife Kumiko Sakamoto in 2020. Inspired by their shared love of Canadian folk music, pop, and Western classical music, Colour of Anyhow draws on a wide array of musical influences to celebrate the songs, stories, and experiences that bring us together. The duo’s original arrangements feature violin, voice, guitar, and electronic elements, creating musical and stylistic through lines that connect centuries of musical traditions.

An avid proponent of contemporary music, Christopher actively performs and commissions music from new and established composers. His debut solo album, DESCRIBE YOURSELF, features five newly commissioned works, including Nicole Lizée’s Juno Award-winning piece “Don’t Throw Your Head in Your Hands”, and new compositions by Kara-Lis Coverdale, Fjóla Evans, Leslie Ting, and Evan J. Cartwright. He has toured and collaborated with Grammy-winning new music ensembles Eighth Blackbird and Roomful of Teeth. Christopher has performed on period instruments at the Boston Early Music Festival, Domaine Forget, the Valley of the Moon Music Festival, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where he performed alongside members of the London Haydn Quartet. During his time in the Bay Area, Christopher was a regular guest of San Francisco jazz group Le Jazz Hot, performing music inspired by Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt. 

As a composer, Christopher has explored a variety of methods and mediums, over a body of work that incorporates acoustic improvisation, electronic processing, and multimedia experimentation. He has performed across North America and has been invited to create new works at residencies at the Banff Centre and at the Britten Pears Young Artist Program in Aldeburgh, UK. His recent work, hello hello my friend, was premiered at Austin’s NMASSFest in 2021 and featured virtual collaborations with eight composers, instrumentalists, and poets from across North America. His debut album hecca autre was released in 2018 on Belgian label Audio. Visuals. Atmosphere and his music has subsequently been released on the Patient Sounds, Vaagner, and Fluid Audio labels. He writes and records songs as Body Surfer.

Christopher has spent more than a decade developing and presenting innovative educational programming. Highlights include a strings program for young people with autism, and lecture presentations on non-verbal communication and diversity in classical music. He has led workshops at institutions including Wayne State Medical School, Dalhousie University, the University of Maryland, and the Fischoff Chamber Music Academy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Christopher oversaw the development of virtual educational content, including an online chamber music seminar for middle and high school students, in partnership with the Austin-based CHAMPS program. He has spearheaded the creation of online video series for organizations including the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts and Chamber Music Tulsa, in collaboration with the Any Given Child program. He is a recipient of the 2021 Ann Divine Educator Award from the Fischoff Competition.

Christopher received his Bachelor’s of Music at McGill University studying with Mark Fewer, and received a Master's Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Ian Swensen. He is currently completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Maryland, studying with David Salness. Other principal mentors include Kelly Parkins-Lindstrom, Daniel Ching, and William Fedkenheuer.

Christopher performs on a 1900 Stefano Scarampella violin, generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. In his spare time, he can be found at record stores, libraries, and coffee shops, and does whatever he can to get into a canoe. 

Photo Credit : Evan Dorsky