photo: Brandon Schmitz

Christopher Alan Schmitz composes solo, chamber, and ensemble music that is “sublimely gorgeous” (Fanfare) and “pensive… hard-driving… and whimsical” (American Record Guide). His compositions have been performed and recorded internationally by the London Symphony Orchestra, the USAF Airmen of Note, and many others, in venues ranging from New York City (Carnegie Hall) to Alaska (Denali National Park) to London (St. Luke’s Church). Schmitz’s educational music has appeared in concert programs at all levels of development and his recent solo and chamber works have been performed by the Cortona Trio, Svyati Duo, Terell Stafford, Amy Schwartz Moretti, and Denson Paul Pollard, among others.

Awards and honors have come from the American Prize in Composition, Alabama Orchestra Association, Sammy Nestico Award, Ithaca College International Jazz Competition, J. Samuel Pilafian Composition Award, and the Music Teacher’s National Association. Commercial recordings of Schmitz’s music appear on Navona Records, Ravello Records, and Beauport Classical, and his sheet music is published by Cherry Classics, C. Alan Publications, Opus Music Publications, and Cimarron Press, with forthcoming publications by Alfred Music and Alias Press (a division of Theodore Presser Company). Schmitz holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition from the University of Texas at Austin, and he is currently Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Mercer University in Macon GA.

Albums

Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 1

Release Date: May 10, 2024
Catalog Number: NV6627
21st Century
Concertos
Orchestral
Orchestra
Violin
The violin concerto is a challenging setup to write for: it beckons with promises of both might and fragility. Composer Christopher Alan Schmitz is well-versed in both the theoretical and practical aspects of composition: his resulting VIOLIN CONCERTO AND SYMPHONY NO. 1 gets the balance just right. The tonal language is reminiscent of Bruckner and Mahler, as raw emotion mixes with splendor. The ultimate success of this precarious, heady concoction rests on the shoulders of conductor Stefan Sanderling and particularly, violinist Amy Schwarz Moretti, member of the acclaimed Ehnes Quartet. Stirringly written and performed to perfection, a success it is.