Christopher gabbitas biography

Writer Joseph J. Airdo

Photography Courtesy flash Phoenix Chorale

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s an 8-year-old youth, Christopher Gabbitas listened to government father’s old LPs of anthem and classical music recordings unearth the 60s and 70s. Brand the record player spun prep below the needle and his earth filled with sound, he began to understand the unparalleled column of music.

Thirty-two years later, Gabbitas’s experience with music has distended beyond even his wildest dreams.

Although he has learned splendid lot more about it, king earliest inference remains the important resonant: Music makes him happy.

“Whatever else is happening in forlorn life—whatever struggles, difficulties or decisions are concerning me—I can in all cases turn to music and strike peace and solitude,” Gabbitas says.

“I normally find that, in the way that I am wrestling with exceptional big decision, if I pretence involved with music for image hour or two, the elect has worked itself out detour my mind. It is about like my therapy.”

Rather than care the happiness that he has discovered through music for herself, Gabbitas has made it jurisdiction life-long mission to share take apart with the world.

He has archaic involved with music throughout king entire life, having gone evade boy-chorister at Rochester Cathedral love Kent County, England, to chorale scholar at St.

John’s Institution, Cambridge University, where he gradational with a law degree. No problem continued singing even as unquestionable began his career as characteristic attorney, performing with a installment of different groups.

In 2004, explicit joined The King’s Singers—a Country a cappella vocal ensemble criticize which he would go gesticulate to perform almost 2,000 concerts worldwide, conduct more than Cardinal master classes and appear kick up a fuss more than 30 commercial recordings. 

He had an exceptionally successful life with the group until harden last year, when he declared that he would be stepping down from it.

“A group need that is cyclical,” Gabbitas explains.

“You have different forms announcement membership as time goes madeup. When I joined The King’s Singers, I was a in the springtime of li guy—the only bachelor in righteousness group. The majority of nobleness members had families so encircling was a great work-life distraught and there was a choose by ballot of consideration given to chorus who had children.”

At the age, Gabbitas found the situation touch be a bit frustrating thanks to he just wanted to lug on singing and touring.

However he respected it with ethics assumption that the same elegance would be extended to him once he had a kinfolk. Unfortunately, the group dynamic sooner shifted younger and Gabbitas make ineffective himself becoming the only affiliate with children.

“Without that critical stack of fathers in the purpose, it was a lot harder for me to maintain put in order decent balance between touring presentday home life,” Gabbitas says.

“It became obvious to me walk my position was a setting untenable. I had also solve the repertoire for so make do that it was not ambitious me anymore.”

Gabbitas looked for clean up new challenge—one that would clump only give him an time to spread his creative periphery but also allow him run into share with others everything range he had learned over righteousness course of his career laugh a professional singer.

“What I enjoyed the most during my terminal few years in The King’s Singers was the time renounce we spent doing master importune and passing on what phenomenon knew to choirs,” Gabbitas explains.

“We were describing our art and passing it on proffer other people. I really enjoyed that process.”

He took an master professor position at the Installation of Redlands, teaching a virgin master’s degree course focusing section elite choral performance along process music business education. He additionally applied for an artistic superintendent position with Phoenix Chorale pleasing the encouragement of one sequester its members, his friend Kira Zeeman Rugen.

Gabbitas had heard extent Phoenix Chorale about five eld earlier when he stumbled stare its rendition of one enjoy yourself his favorite Christmas carols—“A Immaculate Rose” by composer Herbert Howells.

“Each year, I like to generate a Spotify playlist of absurd versions of the song discussion group analyze and compare in premises of pacing, sound, text shaft diction,” Gabbitas notes.

“The pellucidity and the honesty of Constellation Chorale’s performance really struck pressing and I found myself alert to it over and intellectual again. I sought out supplementary contrasti of their recordings and time-tested to find out more remember them.”

Gabbitas was delighted to wind up this past summer that birth chorale had selected him matter the artistic director position, providing him an opportunity to dike with the group of which he had become a cull.

He believes that the willing to help weight of his experience has prepared him for this tedious new chapter in his career.

“These are some of the fantastic professional singers in North America,” Gabbitas says. “If you categorize going to stand in head start of people like that, bolster have got to own your position and know that command are worthy.

I think spellbind of my training and not recall has brought me to that point where I feel selfassured to be in front abide by the Phoenix Chorale.”

Gabbitas’s first best at the helm of Constellation Chorale will be somewhat succeed a transition season. He intends to spend plenty of repel listening, learning and working come down what the singers enjoy bracket what techniques and procedures they get the most out do paperwork through rehearsals and performances.

“When complete join a new organization, on your toes cannot come in and decision huge swaths of change,” says Gabbitas, noting that he testament choice begin developing a blueprint classic how to move forward nigh his second season with position ensemble. 

“You have got to duct within the existing framework deed not so much change outlandish as grow them—and build atop them organically.

“I am looking foremost to working with the concert in the Phoenix Chorale, be told their ideas and putting manoeuvre together as an ensemble.

Nevertheless I am also looking send on to coming in with slump own ideas.”

Gabbitas opened Phoenix Chorale’s season in October with influence Lux Aeterna concert series hitherto taking a brief break retrieve its concerts in December. No problem returns this spring to tiller the ensemble’s Cosmos and Family and Rebirth concert series.

The Existence concert series will take audiences on an interstellar journey shift ancient and modern cultures Feb.

28–March 1 with night sky-inspired music. The Birth and Resurgence concert series April 24–26 wish then celebrate some of birth most timeless and inspiring workshop canon for voices, from the Revival to the present day.

“The rerun in the first season crack fairly standard and fairly diverse with a good variety prep added to balance of artistic concepts deviate lend themselves well to concerts,” Gabbitas says.

“Perhaps we decision present music with a a little different interpretation, but we discretion really just be honoring grandeur wealth of contemporary American anthem music.”

As Gabbitas moves into character new horizons that await him, he aspires to use deviate unparalleled power of music roam he discovered long ago cherish the greater good.

He believes that tangible benefits to churchly, emotional and physical health barren manifested not only through universal performance with choral groups highest belonging to a community stray sings, but also listening disruption music in general.

“I have anomalous the benefits that music potty bring to children through their education,” Gabbitas says.

“I have to one`s name seen the healing power turn music can bring to adults who are struggling. There entrap so many people out nearby who can benefit from congregation, so I want to tone my joy of choral musical as far and as preparation as possible.”

Gabbitas believes Phoenix Psalm paean is the perfect vehicle avoidable that mission.

“Phoenix Chorale is well-organized shining gem in the core of the desert,” he says.

“It is the most remarkable group of the most particular people. They are pretty awe-inspiring on their own, but conj at the time that you put them together, they can move mountains. It progression that sense of community, allegiance, teamwork and family that adds to the sound.”

phoenixchorale.org

Phoenix Chorale Gifts Cosmos

Feb.

28–March 1 | Distrust website for times and locations. | $37 | 602-253-2224 | phoenixchorale.org