Michael Christie (conductor)

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Michael Christie (born 30 June 1974, Buffalo, New York) 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 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.[1] 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.[2] In August 2005, Christie was named the 5th music director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic.[3] His first Brooklyn Philharmonic concert as music director was in February 2006.[4]

From 2001 to 2004, Christie was chief conductor of the Queensland Orchestra, and is now the orchestra's principal guest conductor. In 2006, he married in a ceremony in Australia.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Marc Shulgold. "Building a better fest", Rocky Mountain News, 22 June 2006. Retrieved on 2008-03-27. 
  2. ^ Phoenix Symphony (28 February 2008). "Michael Christie's Contract Extended to 2015". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
  3. ^ Daniel J. Wakin. "Brooklyn Philharmonic Names a New Music Director", The New York Times, 12 August 2005. Retrieved on 2008-03-27. 
  4. ^ Daniel J. Wakin. "A New Director Open to Adventure and a Challenge", The New York Times, 27 February 2006. Retrieved on 2008-03-27. 
  5. ^ Angela Gonzales. "Work becomes music to his ears", Phoenix Business Journal, 30 June 2006. Retrieved on 2008-03-27. 

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Muhai Tang		 Chief Conductor, The Queensland Orchestra
2001–2004		 Succeeded by
Johannes Fritzsch
Preceded by
Hermann Michael		 Music Director, Phoenix Symphony
2005–		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Robert Spano		 Music Director, Brooklyn Philharmonic
2005–		 Succeeded by
Incumbent