Christopher Koelzer
- Collegiate
- Principal Opera Coach, Opera and Musical Theatre Program
- Pianist, Vocal Studies
Vocal Studies
Opera and Musical Theatre Program
Education
Doctor of Musical Arts, Collaborative Piano, University of Maryland
Master of Music, Collaborative Piano, University of Maryland
Bachelor of Music, Piano, Brigham Young University
Courses Taught
ENS 500
Ensembles
Washington National Opera, 2017-2020
Merola Opera, 2019
Wolf Trap Opera 2018
Aspen Music Festival and School, 2011-2014
Q&A
What is your hometown?
Sunnyvale, CA
What is your favorite recording?
Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, Loren Maazel & The Cleveland Orchestra - it's quirky, lyrical, charged, heart-wrenching, and sincere.
What are you passionate about outside of music?
I am always looking for the next hiking adventure (there is so much just in the Bay Area!). I love traveling and road trips, especially with my pups Grace.
Who were your major teachers?
Rita Sloan, Dr. Irene Peery-Fox, Natalia Hanukai
What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?
Anything with scheduling - it's half the career!
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
My first professional job was rehearsal pianist for Mission City Opera (Santa Clara, CA) when I was 14 years old. We performed Mozart's Così fan tutti, and I had a blast performing on the harpsichord with the orchestra and cast. We followed with Strauss' Die Fledermaus with piano and chamber orchestra - I was hooked!
What is your daily practice routine?
I generally start with a half-hour of "kitchen table" work (translations, orchestrations, research), followed by a 15-minutes a day technique regimen, and finally on to repertoire.
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Brahms, Ravel, and Rachmaninoff.
From a music history perspective, what year and city are most important to you, and why?
Around 1917 in Paris, France - the arrival of Jazz in Europe. I am a huge fan of Jazz's rich history and expansion, including its influence on Classical music.
What recordings can we hear you on? (Please list five or fewer and specify record label.)
Insomnia (Zampol Productions), 2024
Conversion (Zampol Productions), 2024
Sonatas (Traguna Productions), 2020
The Double Bass – Encore! (MSR Classics), 2019
Harbison, Ruggles & Stucky: Orchestral Works (Naxos Records), 2018
- National Orchestral Institute + Festival
- Grammy® Award Nomination, 2018 – Best Orchestral Performance
Biography
Dr. Christopher Koelzer is an accomplished solo and collaborative pianist who performs, records, conducts, and coaches in New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Bay Area. He began his professional career at age 13, working with opera and musical theater companies in the Bay Area.
Christopher holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University, and Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Collaborative Piano from the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently, he teaches and performs as Principal Opera Coach at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stanford University, and San José State University.
Christopher has performed internationally was selected as Coaching Fellow at Wolf Trap Opera and Merola Opera Program, and the Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera. As a pianist, assistant conductor, vocal coach, and organist, he has collaborated with prestigious opera companies, vocal ensembles, instrumentalists and chamber ensembles across the United States.
Christopher is a 2019 Grammy® nominee, where he performed on the album RUGGLES, STUCKY & HARBISON: ORCHESTRAL WORKS. He has performed at Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall, and served as Assistant Conductor for Maryland Lyric Opera from 2019-2023. Most recently, he taught as Vocal Faculty at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan from 2020-2024.