Michael Christie (conductor)
Michael Christie (born 30 June 1974, Buffalo, New York) is an American conductor. He graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music with a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance. His conducting teachers have included Peter Jaffe, Eiji Oue, and Robert Spano.
Christie first came to international attention in 1995 when he received a special prize for "outstanding potential" at the First International Sibelius Conductor’s Competition in Helsinki at age 21.[1] Following the competition, he became an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and subsequently worked with Daniel Barenboim, conducting both in Chicago and at the Berlin State Opera. From 1996 to 1998, he was associate conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic. Franz Welser-Möst named Christie assistant conductor at the Zurich Opera for the 1997-98 season.
Christie became the music director of the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder in 2000.[2] In October 2011, CMF announced that it has extended Christie's contract for five more years.[3] In November 2012, Christie stepped down as Colorado Music Festival's music director, effective after the 2014 season.[4]
In December 2004, Christie was appointed the 10th music director of the Phoenix Symphony, with an initial contract of 5 years from 2005 to 2010. In February 2008, the orchestra announced the extension of his contract to 2015.[5] However, in January 2012, the orchestra announced a revised conclusion of Christie's tenure with the Phoenix Symphony, after the 2012-2013 season.[6] As a token of gratitude for his eight years of work as maestro of the symphony, the board of directors of the Phoenix Symphony named him music director laureate in 2013.[7] With the Phoenix Symphony, Christie has recorded music of Mark Grey for the Naxos label.
In August 2005, Christie was named the 5th music director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic,[8] with an initial contract of 3 years. His first Brooklyn Philharmonic concert as music director was in February 2006.[9] In September 2007, the Brooklyn Philharmonic announced the extension of Christie's contract with the orchestra through the 2009-2010 season, with an evergreen clause to allow for yearly renewal.[10] His Brooklyn Philharmonic tenure concluded in June 2010.[11] According to one critic, "the orchestra saw its overall quality fall off drastically under music director Michael Christie," and was forced to cancel the 2010-11 season entirely.[12]
In January 2012, the Minnesota Opera announced the appointment of Christie as its music director, as of the 2012-2013 season.[13] In February 2014, Michael Christie's contract with the Minnesota Opera was extended to the 2017-2018 season.[14]
From 2001 to December 2004, Christie was chief conductor of the Queensland Orchestra. In Australia, Christie met his future wife Alexis, a medical doctor. The couple married in 2006,[15] and they have two children.[16]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Michael Christie's Contract Extended to 2015", Phoenix Symphony (press release), 28 February 2008.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Outgoing Christie named laureate of Phoenix Symphony", East Valley Tribune, February 21, 2013.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Alan Pierson: Making 'Brooklyn's Orchestra'" by George Grella. The Brooklyn Rail.[1]
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Angela Gonzales, "Work becomes music to his ears". Phoenix Business Journal, 30 June 2006
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
| Cultural offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chief Conductor, The Queensland Orchestra 2001–2004 |
Succeeded by Johannes Fritzsch |
| Preceded by
Hermann Michael
|
Music Director, Phoenix Symphony 2005–2013 |
Succeeded by Tito Muñoz |
| Preceded by | Music Director, Brooklyn Philharmonic 2005–2010 |
Succeeded by Alan Pierson (artistic director) |
| Preceded by | Music Director, Colorado Music Festival 2000–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Preceded by
No predecessor
|
Music Director, Minnesota Opera 2012–present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
