Christopher James Hisey, Music Director and Conductor
Music Director/Conductor Christopher
James Hisey has conducted throughout the United States and Europe.
He has appeared with the Ruse Philharmonic, and the Plevin Philharmonic
in Bulgaria as well as the St. Petersburg "Klassika" Symphony,
formerly the Leningrad State Philharmonic Orchestra, in Russia.
In addition to his duties with the Civic Orchestra, Mr. Hisey is the Music
Director and co-founder of the American
Chamber Orchestra, a group he established with Carl Serbell. The Orchestra's
mission is to bring high quality music to the people of the community,
as well as promote local artists through featuring them as soloists or
premiering their work. In the summer of 2005, the Orchestra traveled to
Europe and gave concerts in Vienna, Salzburg and Prague. The group toured
Italy in the summer of 2007, performing concerts in Padua, Florence and
Milan. Artists who have performed with the American Chamber Orchestra
include Jenny Lind-winning Soprano Stephanie Gregory, Emmy Award-winning
composer Dr. Rex Cadwallader, Violist Fiona Winning, Cellist Rebecca Patterson,
Organist and Composer Dr. Edward Thompson, Violist Yaroslav Kargin, Pianist
Assaff Weisman, and Violinist Jessica Lee.
Mr. Hisey has recently been named the Music Director/Conductor of the
Connecticut Valley Chamber Orchestra (CVCO). The CVCO is an ensemble that
draws serious amateur musicians from all areas of Northern Connecticut
and southern Massachusetts. Highlights from this season include two performances
of the Mozart Requiem with the UCONN Concert Choir.
Mr. Hisey is in his fifth season as Music Director of the Troupers
Light Opera Company. This season's production was Yeoman of the Guard.
Three years ago, Mr. Hisey appeared with the Company at Cami Hall in New
York City and performed excerpts from The Sorcerer for the New York Gilbert
and Sullivan Society. It was written of this performance "…you
will likely not have seen a better Sorcerer."
In addition to his theatrical endeavors with Troupers Light Opera Company,
Mr. Hisey recently served as Music Director of a production of "Amahl
and the Night Visitors," a fundraising initiative for the Bridgeport
Public Education Fund. The production was the result of the tireless efforts
put forth by members of the American Chamber Orchestra, the Unitarian
Church of Westport, and numerous other talented individuals from throughout
Fairfield and New Haven Counties.
Mr. Hisey attended the Eastman School of Music where he earned his Bachelor
of Music Degree in Viola Performance, studying with James Dunham, violist
of the Cleveland Quartet. Mr. Hisey has also studied with Karen Dreyfus,
Karen Ritcher and George Taylor. He has served as the principal violist
of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra in Michigan and the Perrysburg Symphony
Orchestra in Ohio. In addition, Mr. Hisey plays in the Nutmeg String Quartet,
the Bridgeport Symphony, and performs many freelance jobs around the state
of Connecticut.
After finishing his degree at Eastman, Mr. Hisey went on to serve as Graduate
Teaching Assistant to Dr. Emily Freeman Brown at Bowling Green State University
in Ohio, where he completed his Master of Music degree in Conducting Performance.
During that time he served as Music Director of the Perrysburg Symphony
Chorale, Associate Conductor of the Perrysburg Symphony, and Associate
Conductor of the Bowling Green Philharmonia and Opera Theatre Orchestra.
Mr. Hisey is a respected music educator and in that capacity serves on
the string faculties of Greens
Farms Academy and the Westport
School of Music. He has served as Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra
of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras, Professor of Conducting and
Music Director of the Orchestra at Fairfield University. Additionally,
he has appeared as clinician at the Ohio Music Educators District II Music
Festival, Lexington Kentucky String Festival, Fairfield County Chorale
Summer Sing Program and the Fairfield University Summer Choral Festival.
