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Recognised for his interpretive ability, wide-ranging tone colour and expressive playing, Altus Artist Christopher Lee is a laureate of the 2007 AGIMUS International Competition, Italy.
“From the first note I knew you have what I search for in the flute - originality, creativity and a subtle sense of humour with all the technique to go with it!” - Dr.Atarah Ben-Tovim, former Principal Flute Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
“His dazzling technique on Tico Tico and Caliendo’s Caliente come across as all the more amazing when contrasted with the subtle tones of such works as Ponce’s Estrellita.” - “an amazing spectrum of tonal colours” - Wholenote Magazine
“Great sound and fantastic character, you really had us eating out of your hand!” - Dr.Michelle Cheramy, flute professor Memorial University
Chris is currently Principal Flute of the Toronto Philharmonia, an orchestra he joined in 1991. From 1988 to 1991 he was Principal Flute of the Band of the Royal Regiment of Canada with whom he toured and recorded. From 1994 to 2007 he also performed with the Huntsville Festival Symphony at the Huntsville Festival of the Arts.
Chris has performed with numerous orchestras including the Windsor Symphony, Hamilton Ballet Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, Canadian Sinfonietta, the touring orchestra of “Scotland the Brave”, the Grand Salon Orchestra, the Ontario Philhamonic and Kingston Symphony.
In 1996 he was a co-founder of the woodwind sextet “Les Six” which had its concert debut in 1997, recorded and broadcast by CBC stereo. As a soloist he has been a featured guest for several organizations and venues including the British Embassy Church of St.George in Madrid, Spain, the Alicier Arts Series, A Little Night Music series, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Oakville Centre for the Arts, the Canadian Flute Association, the venerable jazz club, Hugh’s Room in Toronto and Music for Sunday in Niagara-on-the-Lake. He has performed in Canada, the United States and Europe and there have been performances for the heads of state (former and current) of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Norway.
On recording he has released two CD’s to date. The first “My Lucky Life” of music for flute, harp and violin with Jacqueline Goring and Alexa Wilks, and the latest release (2011) “Bailar conmigo” (a Latin/jazz CD) of music for flute and guitar with guitarist James Brown. He also appears on two recordings with singer/songwriter Michael Holt (“Windows” and “the Dawn Chorus”), “Sentimentale” with flutist Samantha Chang and “A Child Born There” with soprano Catherine Morrow and pianist Norm Nurmi.
He served on the jury for the first Canadian Flute Association competition in 2010 and gave two masterclasses for them in Vancouver B.C. in 2011.
Chris began formal study of flute at the age of 19 at the Royal Conservatory of Music and one year later entered the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. He subsequently went on to be awarded the Licentiate in flute performance from Trinity College of Music, London, England. He also completed the Orchestral Training Program at the Royal Conservatory of Music. His teachers and masterclass instructors included Susan Hoeppner, Julius Baker, William Bennett O.B.E., Donald Peck, Carl Hall, Carol Wincenc and Peg Albrecht.
The 2012-13 season will see Chris in Ottawa at Carleton University giving masterclasses and a recital for the Ottawa Flute Association, California State University Long Beach for the Los Angeles Flute Guild and Appleby College for the Canadian Flute Association Convention.
Chris performs on the handmade Altus Flute by Suichi Tanaka. His baroque flute is a 1796 Grenser copy made by Boaz Berney.
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