Brian Christian — Musician, Educator, Composer
I'm a multi-talented musician, educator, and composer with extensive experience spanning performance, teaching, and original composition. I hold a Master of Music in Composition from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley.
From Fall 2014 to the present, I served as adjunct faculty at College of the Ozarks, where I taught class piano, applied piano lessons, diction for singers, aural skills, and music history. I also worked as staff accompanist and diction coach, collaborating extensively with vocal performers and opera productions throughout the region. Prior to this, I taught through outreach programs through Ravinia-Lawndale Community Music School, bringing music education to underserved communities in Chicago.
My compositional work has received recognition. My piece "Six French Sweets" premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia, as part of the Jaani Kirik Concert Series, and my choral composition "Virtue" was selected for performance by the Peabody Singers. I earned the Gustav Klemm Award for exemplary work in composition at Peabody Institute and studied under renowned composers Nicholas Maw and Kevin Puts.
My performance career includes orchestral and recital appearances, featuring Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the UC Berkeley Orchestra. I was first prize winner in the 21st Bartók-Kabalevsky-Prokofiev International Piano Competition collegiate division. I've served as organist and pianist for multiple congregations across three states and accompanied opera star Michael Spyres and his singers at the Ozarks Lyric Opera.
With deep expertise in classical training, diction coaching, conducting, and composition, I bring decades of experience to my students and collaborators, bridging rigorous academic tradition with passionate artistic expression. My background includes masterclasses with celebrated pianists and extensive work as a studio accompanist, making me well-equipped to support both emerging and established musicians in achieving their artistic goals.
