Chris Artley is a multi award-winning composer, with competition successes in Canada, USA, Japan, Czech Republic, Germany, England, Spain and New Zealand. His works have been performed worldwide by ensembles including: The Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, The Auckland Symphony Orchestra,The Amadeus Choir of Toronto, The Lutheran Youth Choir of North America, The Metropolitan Chorus of Tokyo, The National University of Singapore Choir, Age of Discovery, Auckland, The Graduate Choir NZ, Voices New Zealand, New Zealand Youth Choir and New Zealand Secondary Students Choir.

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Chris’ music is published by Helbling Verlag in Austria, Royal School of Church Music in England and Pana Musica in Japan. He is also a Fully Registered Composer with SOUNZ. 

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Originally from England, Chris studied Music at University of Bristol (1981-84) with composer Derek Bourgeois. He has spent thirty years teaching music in schools in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, where he is now resident and teaches at King’s College, Auckland. In 2010, Chris took a year out of teaching and studied Music at University of Auckland, taking papers in composition, jazz piano and jazz arranging with John Elmsly, Kevin Field and Roger Manins respectively. This ‘year out’, rekindled Chris’ interest in composition. Indeed, all of his publications and competition successes date from 2010 onwards.

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Since 2009, Chris has been a singer and accompanist in one of New Zealand’s premier choirs, The Graduate Choir NZ, directed by Terence Maskell. The Graduate Choir NZ has commissioned and premiered several of his compositions including Ave Maria and The Ashwell Carol. In December they gave the world premiere performance of his award winning work, Qui Creavit Caelum, at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parnell.

 

Chris has collaborated with conductors Brian Kay, former member of the King’s Singers, and Ebbe Munk, Director of The Royal Chapel Choir of Denmark, who have both conducted his work at the annual Teapot Valley Summer Music Schools in Nelson. He was delighted to be Composer in Residence for New Zealand Choral Federation’s triennial conference, Sing Aotearoa, in October 2016. This included a performance of a newly commissioned work, ‘Language of Stones’, text: Robina Adamson, for S.A.T.B. unaccompanied choir, which was premiered by the large festival choir, conducted by Ben Parry, Director of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.