Christopher North

Christopher North
Background information
Birth name	Christopher North Renquist
Born	(1969-02-06) February 6, 1969
Origin	Austin, Texas
Genres	Jazz classical rock
Occupation(s)	Composer
Instruments	Electric bass, double bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, piano, sitar

Christopher North (born February 6, 1969) is an American composer, songwriter, and musician.

Biography^[1]

Born Christopher North Renquist in Austin, Texas on February 6, 1969, Christopher North is a multi-instrumental composer and singer-songwriter based in New York City. As a composer his works have been performed at venues in Europe (London, Berlin and Edinburgh) and the US (Texas, California, Illinois, Ohio, Hawaii and New York) including collaborations with film makers (Tribeca, Big Apple and SXSW Film Festivals), theater companies (including Workshop Theater, NY and Edinburgh Fringe), choreographers (Wave Hill, Joyce SOHO) and concerts including the 92nd Street Y. His children’s songs can be heard around the globe on the Disney Channel and the Noggin Network (Oobi).

As a genre-crossing musician, he has performed and recorded with an eclectic array of artists and ensembles. He has played bass with Quincy Jones, the Dixie Chicks, Rosanne Cash, various symphony orchestras as well on Broadway in The Lion King and Spring Awakening. He has sung with the New York Philharmonic (including the 3 Grammy Award-winning John Adams' "On the Transmigration of Souls") and for Stephen Sondheim ("Frogs" with Nathan Lane). He has performed at venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, CBGB's and Madison Square Garden. He has performed on national TV (including Live with Regis and Kelly and Live at Lincoln Center), and been heard on the radio (NPR, WNYC) and commercials (including Visa and Tide). He has recorded and performed extensively as a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, keyboards, harmonica, etc.) In 2002, he produced and released two albums of his own compositions, Opus Zero is classical: chamber music and art songs, and De La Sur is an eclectic rock/soul album on which he played most of the instruments (including guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, harmonica and even sitar, recorder, and glockenspiel). Recently, he's been focusing on collaborating – sound design/ music for The Forever Waltz by Glyn Maxwel, the score for Angelica Torn's Lucky Days and various projects with writer/director Matthew Miele, finishing the feature-length film Everything's Jake in 2006 and Eavesdrop in September 2007. Their next collaboration is a documentary on Abner Zwillman. His scores and albums feature world class NYC musicians (Eroica Trio, Ethel (string quartet), Andy Middleton, Carol Emanuel.)

Works/recordings/performances^[1]

Film scores

• Everything's Jake - A Film by Matthew Miele starring Ernie Hudson, score performed by composer (with string quartet and saxophone) distributed by Warner Brothers
• Skips - A short film by Steve Curley, guitar and percussion score (2003) official entry in 2003 Tribeca Film Festival
• Addict - A very short film by Steve Curley, ambient score
• The Tip (1997) - Multi-tracked double bass and piano score for short film produced and directed by Kahvan Mashayekh premiered at the Independent Film Festival, Houston, Texas, official entry in the 1998 SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX and in the 1998 Houston International Film Festival.
• Eavesdrop - A film by Matthew Miele starring Chris Parnell, Tovah Feldshuh, Terennce Mann
• Lucky Days - A film by Angelica Torn starring actor/writer/director Angelica Torn, Luke Zarzecki, co-director Tony Torn, Rip Torn, Federico Castelluccio

Music for dance

• Suddenly Green (1998) for recorder, guitar, and percussion (one musician / dancer performed by the composer) commissioned by the Field and choreographer Sherri Greenspan for the Dancing in the Streets Festival at Wave Hill, Bronx NY
• Seuss Suites (1998) multi-instrumental score/sound design for dance commissioned by Valerie Alpert and Company, Columbus OH
• I Take Nights in the Middle of my Walk (1997–1998) for double bass, guitar and percussion (one musician / dancer performed by the composer) commissioned by choreographer Sherri Greenspan, presented at Joyce Theater Soho, NYC
• What Are You Afraid Of? (1997) multi-instrumental score/sound design commissioned by Valerie Alpert and Company, Columbus OH
• Seed (1995) for violin, multi-media collaboration with choreographer Michelle Lee Adams for performance by New Arts Collective, Dallas TX

Classical/orchestral composition

• Opus Zero (2002) by Christopher North, 13 track self-produced CD (including art song, chamber music, solo pieces)
• Renquist (2007) by Christopher North, 15 track self-produced compilation of 1988-1998 works (including art song, chamber music, solo works, electronic soundscapes for dance)
• Many new chamber works and Art songs for a Distinguished Artist recitals at the 92nd St Y in February 2001 and February 2008.

Jazz composition

• 15 original jazz tunes composed for Eavesdrop score. Seven premiered live at February 2008 92nd Street Y recital.

Music/sound design for theater

• The Forever Waltz (2005) Original music and sound design for the Glyn Maxwell Play (including “the feather lake song” with words by the poet) produced by Verse Theater Manhattan / Workshop Theater in NYC and produced by Restricted View in London and Presented at Edinburgh Fringe 2005, directed by Elysa Marden
• The Three Musketeers (1998) score/sound design for the play commissioned (with Meet the Composer) by The American Globe Theater, NYC
• The Husbands (world premiere in August 1998 at the New York International Fringe Festival) live score/sound design (one musician) for the Christopher Logue play, directed by Elysa Marden, produced by Richard Ryan / Verse Productions

Songwriter

• Songs for Sesame Street International, Disney Channel and Noggin Network for Josh Selig / Little Airplane Productions.
• Christopher North, de la sur (2002), 17 track self-produced CD
• Blue Skye, Yesterday's Yesteryear Blues (1994) 10 track self-produced CD

Bassist-Broadway/theater

• The Lion King on Broadway, New York NY (August 2001 – present) substitute player for Tom Barney
• Spring Awakening on Broadway, New York NY (January 2007 – present) substitute player for George Farmer
• Rent on Broadway, New York NY (January 2004 – January 2005) substitute player for Steve Mack

Guitarist - Broadway/Theater

• The Lion King on Broadway, New York NY (December 2004 – present) substitute player for Kevin Kuehn, the chair requires guitar (electric and classical), ukelele and kalimba

Vocal recordings - solo/ensemble

• Various demo and jingle recordings, New York, NY (1997–present) inc. Disney International and Sesame Street
• John Adams' "On the Transmigration of Souls", for Nonesuch Records with the New York Philharmonic / New York Choral Artists, winner of 3 Grammy Awards (2005)
• Stephen Sondheim's “The Frogs / Evening Primrose” (2000) for Nonesuch Records, featured Nathan Lane at the Hit Factory
• Alice Parker "My Love and I", (2000) Men's choral works from the Robert Shaw / Alice Parker catalog for Melodius Accord at Riverside Church
• “Kurt Masur at the New York Philharmonic,“ 10-CD box set features New York choral artists

As multi-instrumentalist

• Christopher North's De la Sur' (2002), vocals, acoustic and electric basses, acoustic and electric guitars, drums / percussion, keyboards, sitar, recorder, harmonica.
• Enid Levine and the Boys, Take This Show on the Road (2000), Acoustic /electric /fretless bass, nylon, steel and 12 string guitar, harmonica, vocals
• Blue Skye, Yesterday's Yesteryear Blues (1995) Singer/songwriter, bass, keys, guitar & mixing

Producer - children's songs

• Ivan Ulzcs "Fire Truck", (2005) CD and book for Scholastic.

Teacher-bass/guitar, private/studio/school instruction

• Private Studio, Denton and Dallas TX, New York and Brooklyn NY (1990 to present)
• 92nd Street Y, New York NY (1997–present)

Education^[1]

• Bachelor of Music in Music Composition - Southern Methodist University (1992–1994)
• University of North Texas (1987–1991)

References

External links

• Christopher North's official website
• Christopher North at the Internet Movie Database
• Eavesdrop film official website
• Everything's Jake official website