Christopher Salerno
CHRIS
SALERNO has been composing and arranging music for the past 27
years. His concert band music is published by the Neil A. Kjos Music
Company. Chris' music has been performed by the Roanoke Symphony
Orchestra, West Point Military Academy Band, Royal Northern College of
Music Wind Orchestra in Great Britain, Queensland Band in Australia,
VanderCook College of Music Symphonic Band, Radford University Concert
Band and many bands in Japan and the United States.
He has been commissioned numerous times to compose original music for concert band and has had his music performed at the MidWest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. Two of Chris' works for concert band: The Puckish Poltergeist and Images of Appalachia received reviewer’s choice in The Instrumentalist Magazine. The Puckish Poltergeist was listed in The Bandworld Top 100 in the Bandworld International Magazine. He is listed in The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music: Composers and their Music, Heritage Press. In 1995, The Puckish Poltergeist was one of fifty-five new band publications out of 400 to be selected for the YAMAHA RECOMMENDS catalog of music “recommendable for Japanese bands by the Japan Band Clinic Commitee...”. The Yamaha Music Media Corporation Overseas Division published the catalog.
Chris is a graduate of VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois where he received a Bachelor of Music Education degree as well as a Master of Arts degree from Radford University in Radford, Virginia. From 1988 to 1992 Chris studied Euphonium with Roger Rocco, formerly the principal Tubist of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and student of Arnold Jacobs, formerly the principal Tubist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for forty-four years. From 1992 to 1994 he studied Composition with Mark Camphouse and in 1996 with television composer James A. Di Pasquale in Los Angeles, CA. He was accepted into the University of Southern California Motion Picture Scoring Program but was unable to attend.
From 1994 to 1997 Chris was a music editor for the Neil A. Kjos Music Company in San Diego, CA where he worked on the Standard of Excellence Band Method as a composer, arranger and editor. He arranged a significant number of arrangements for the SOE Book 2 CD Accompaniment recordings and worked closely with Bruce Pearson, author of the Standard of Excellence Band Method, who also hired Chris to compose band arrangements for SOE Book 3. He was also the jazz band editor for the Kjos Jazz Ensemble Signature Series.
While living in San Diego, Chris decided to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a film composer. A highlight of this pursuit was being invited to Amblin Entertainment by Ken Wannberg, John Williams’ longtime music editor, for a day of conversation about the business. Another highlight was many phone conversations with David Raksin which resulted in a lesson with film and television composer James A. Di Pasquale. Yet another highlight was meeting Mike Post and discussing the possibility of working for him. Chris relocated back to Virginia in 1997 for family reasons, but continues to pursue work in film and television.
Chris was a music educator in Virginia public schools for 10 years. He taught Elementary General Music, Middle School Chorus and Music Appreciation, High School Chorus and Vocal Music, as well as Middle and High School Band. He was musical director for over 30 productions and composed and arranged music for his students throughout his career as a music educator. Currently, Chris lives in Lynchburg, Virginia where he is active as a composer, arranger and orchestrator. Chris is the Band and Orchestra Coordinator for Lynchburg Music Center.
Chris also co-lead worship at Heritage Baptist Church and then Worsham Baptist where he also conducted the Choir, both in Farmville, VA from 1998 to 2008. He composed Praise and Worship songs, Cantatas and music for special productions and occasions. He is currently attending Redeemer Presbyterian Church and participates in the Praise Band as a performer, composer, songwriter and arranger.
You can reach him with any questions or comments at salerno@watertonbrassmusic.com
