With a warmly engaging personality both on and off the podium, Christopher Clowdus brings sensitivity, passion, and abundant musicality to the performances he conducts. A versatile musician, he has a wealth of experience in the diverse realms of orchestral music, choral music, opera, and musical theatre and has been lauded as an inspiring, communicative, and motivational leader by audiences, musicians, and students alike.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Christopher holds advanced degrees from Yale University, where he studied under full scholarship with Marguerite Brooks. He has received additional instruction from Lawrence Leighton Smith, Paul Vermel, Peter Jaffe, Karen Deal, Donald Portnoy, Martin Jean, David Hurd, and Thomas Gibbs. Christopher has conducted members of the Chinese National Opera Orchestra in Beijing and the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra in Xi’an, China and has performed in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center with the Yale Camerata and Pro Musica. Recently, Mr. Clowdus appeared as guest conductor with the Prague Radio Symphony, leading instrumentalists and singers on a performance tour of major venues in Austria and the Czech Republic.
While at Yale, Mr. Clowdus served as an assistant conductor of the acclaimed Yale Camerata, Seminary Organist & Director of Music at Berkeley Divinity School and Director of Music in Yale Divinity School’s Marquand Chapel. He is a member of the American Symphony League, American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, The Conductors Guild, and the Royal School of Church Music.
Christopher was appointed Artistic Director of the Empire City Men’s Chorus in 2008. He continues as Artistic Director of the Greater New Haven Community Chorus and previously, was Associate Conductor of The Connecticut Chamber Orchestra and Chair of the Department of Fine Arts and Director of Music at Sacred Heart Academy. He is active as a conductor, keyboardist, and music consultant. In his spare time, he may be found cooking, traveling, snowboarding, swimming, and caring for his dog S’bastian.