Meet Our Musicians: Chris Chlumsky, Principal Bass
come and see Chris and the rest of your MSO String Quintet perform in February as part of our Ensemble Series!
The concerts will be held on February 10th at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth, DE and on February 11th at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD.
Christopher Chlumsky, both a double and electric bassist in the DMV region, began his music studies at the age of 8 in the town of Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania. Immediately embracing the large instrument, he began to win not only competitions but selected as one of the youngest bassists to win a position with the Southeastern District Conference at the age of 13. Still only at the age of 15, won a bass section position with the York Symphony Orchestra and later a top prize concerto competition with the same organization. Chris achieved additional honors at a young age to be selected nationally for the Congress of Strings in Greely, CO as well as the only bassist from the state to attend the Pennsylvania Governors School of the Arts.
Chris attended the Curtis Institute of Music under the tutelage of the late Roger Scott, former principal bassist of the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. During his conservatory tenure he participated in exclusive domestic and international music festivals such as Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany and Rencontres Musicales d’Evian in France under the artistic direction of Mstislav Rostropovich. He also was continuously invited to play with the New World Symphony Orchestra in Miami Beach, Florida under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.
Upon graduation, Chris won the associate principal position of the Orquestra Sinfonica de Galicia of La Coruna, Spain and after remaining for 2 years, returned to the US to study with Robert Kesselman of the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. During his graduate studies, he continued to win positions with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra and invited to play with Columbus Symphony Orchestra while also touring with the Heifetz and Classical Band ensemble performing across the United States and Canada as a chamber musician and soloist. Currently Chris is the principal bassist of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and had previously served as Chairman of their player’s committee representing AFM Local 40-543. He also is principal of the Annapolis Chamber Orchestra, principal of the New Orchestra of Washington, core member of the Apollo Orchestra and continues to be invited to play with the Manassas Ballet Theatre, the Baltimore Choral Arts, The American Pops, Maryland Lyric Opera in Bethesda, Washington Concert Opera, Maryland Opera of Baltimore, the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra, Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, and the National Philharmonic Orchestra. Other orchestras previously performed with was the Wolf Trap Orchestra for opera and special events, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Opera Vivente of Baltimore, Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Ensemble of DC and the Arlington Symphony Orchestra.
Chris is also a highly sought after theater musician for both upright and electric bass playing at award winning theaters such as the Hippodrome, Kennedy Center, National Theater, Signature Theater, Arena Stage, Round House Theater, Olney Theater, Studio Theater, Creative Cauldron, ArtsCentric , 1st Stage and Constellation Theatre. Chris has also shared the stage with many pop artists such as Paul Shaffer, Lady GaGa, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Diana Krall, Andrea Boccelli, The Eagles, Roger Daltrey of The Who, Lionel Hampton and many more.
As a teacher of both double and electric bass, Chris has previously served as an adjunct professor at York College of PA, Washington College in Chestertown, MD and currently has an active private studio always open to new students. Chris also has a diverse background in financial engineering, backend coding, trading violation analysis, securities trading and project management while enjoying weightlifting, road cycling as well as downhill and trail biking.