Conductor Christopher James Hisey is one of Connecticut's leading young

                                        conductors. Mr. Hisey has conducted throughout the United States, Europe

                                        and in Mexico. He made his international debut in 2001 with the Ruse

                                        Philharmonic Orchestra in Ruse Bulgaria. He has also made appearances

                                        with the Pleven Philharmonic, in Pleven Bulgaria and the St. Petersburg "                                       "Klassika" Symphony, formerly the Lenningrad State Philharmonic.

       

                                        Mr. Hisey currently serves as the Music Director/Conductor of the

                                        American Chamber Orchestra, a group he founded in 2003 with Carl

                                         Serbell. Since it's inception, the American Chamber Orchestra has

                                         given 17 very successful concerts, including a concert tour of Europe, during

                                         which the orchestra gave concerts in Vienna, Sazlburg and Prague. The

                                         orchestra's mission is to bring high quality music to the people of the community, to provide the opportunity for professional and serious amateur musicians to achieve a very high level of performance, and to promote local instrumentalists and composers by featuring their work on concerts.  Some of the Artists to appear with the American Chamber Orchestra include: Emmy Award winning composer and pianist Dr. Rex Cadwallader, Jenny Lind, award winning soprano Stephanie Gregory, violinist Jessica Lee, pianist Assaff Weisman, violist Fiona Winning, violist Yaroslav Kargin, oboist John Hanulik, organist and composer Dr. Edward Thompson, and cellist Rebecca Patterson.

 

In addition to his duties with the American Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Hisey also serves as Music Director of the Civic Orchestra of New Haven (CONH). He is only the 3rd person to be named music director in the orchestra's 65 year history. Since his appointment, the orchestra has grown in size from 50 to the current membership of 70. The orchestra is currently working on a project initiated by Mr. Hisey. Partnering with the Fairfield County Chorale and the Fairfield County Children's Choir, the orchestra will be giving two performances of Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" as a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut. This is a milestone in the orchestras history as it is the first time it has taken on a project of this magnitude.

 

As Music Director of the Troupers Light Opera Company (TLO), Mr. Hisey has helped to produce three outstanding productions: Gilbert and Sullivan's, "Ruddigore", "the Sorcerer", and Iolanthe. In 2005 the company was invited to perform at Cami Hall in New York City for the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Society. It was written of this performance.."you have likely not seen a better 'Sorcerer'..". This years production is "Princess Ida", for more information about tickets and performance dates, please follow the link to Mr. Hisey's performance schedule.

 

Most recently Mr. Hisey was named the Music Director/Conductor of the Connecticut Valley Chamber Orchestra (CVCO). This being his first season, Mr. Hisey looks forward to many concerts with these fine musicians and is currently planning concerts for the upcoming seasons. Included in these plans are two performances of the Mozart Requiem with Constance Defotis and the UCONN Chorale, in April of 2008. The CVCO is a group of professional and serious amatuer musicians that attracts players and audience a like from all of northern Connecticut and southern Massachusetts.

 

Mr. Hisey is a respected music educator and in that capacity serves on the string faculties of Greens Farms Academy, a private K-12 day school in Connecticut, and the Westport School of Music. In addition Mr. Hisey has served as Professor of Conducting and Music Director of the Orchestra at Fairfield University, and conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Greater Bridgeport Youth Orchestras.

 

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Mr. Hisey received a bachelor's degree in viola performance, studying with James Dunham, violist of the Cleveland Quartet. He went on to receive a Master's of Music from Bowling Green State University where he served as Associate Conductor of the Bowling Green Philharmonia and Opera Theatre Orchestra, studying with Dr. Emily Freeman Brown.

 

Mr. Hisey lives in Naugatuck with his wife Janet and their two children, Lauren and Alex.