Chris DeChiara-Percussionist

A native of Boston, MA, percussionist Chris DeChiara received his education from New England Conservatory (MM) with Academic Honors and Distinction in Performance and from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell (BM), graduating cum laude.

He was a semifinalist with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999 and received awards from Zildjian, Ludwig, Remo, and the New England Conservatory. As a freelancer, Chris has performed with the Boston Ballet, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Philharmonic, Kennedy Center Opera/Ballet Orchestra, AUROS Group for New Music, FROMM Players at Harvard, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, New Hampshire Symphony, BankBoston Celebrity Series, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Maynard Ferguson, and Arturo Sandoval.

Chris has been involved with numerous live broadcasts on WGBH, Boston, with members of the Boston Symphony and faculty of NEC. In 1999, he performed live for ZDF and ARTE French and German television with the Schleswig Holstein Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach conducting. Summer festivals include Rome, Italy; Aspen Colorado; Spoleto, South Carolina; Schleswig in Germany, and principal percussionist of the World Youth Philharmonic in Bonn, Germany, 1999. The nationwide magazine, Modern Drummer also published two articles of his in their 2000 and 2005 issues. Current recordings include EMI’s release of the world premiere recording of Kurt Weill’s Die Burgshaft opera, Shrish Korde’s Drowned Woman of the Sky, and Rosemont Family Reunion's Forevr Ruth.

Chris is currently a member and soloist with the United States Navy Band in Washington DC, drummer with cover band Dr.FU, Principal Percussionist with the Ars Nova Chamber Ensemble, and teaches out of his home in Northern VA.