Chris Carrillo joined the faculty of James Madison University in 2009 as the studio trumpet professor in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. He currently performs as principal trumpet with the Madison Brass and the New Orchestra of Washington in Washington, D.C. Solo engagements and chamber collaborations have taken him throughout the United States, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom performing in some of the world's finest concert halls including Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and City Recital Hall in Sydney, Australia.
As an orchestral musician, Chris has performed with the symphony orchestras of Austin, Charlotte, Charlottesville, Corpus Christi, Harrisburg, Jacksonville, Jackson, Memphis, Roanoke, and Victoria as well as the opera companies of Austin, Ash Lawn, Memphis, Roanoke, and Opera on the James. He has recorded on the Mark Custom and Reference Recording labels and his most recent recording was with the Dallas Winds on the Grammy nominated, Garden of Dreams: The Music of David Maslanka. Additionally, he has performed under the batons of conductors such as Robert Spano, Christopher Hogwood, Marin Alsop, Joann Falleta, Pascal Verrot, Christopher Warren-Green, Peter Bay, Jerry Junkin, and Larry Rachleff.
As a chamber musician, Chris is currently principal trumpet with the Madison Brass and the Virginia Brass Consort. He has previously performed as principal trumpet with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, the Austin City Brass, and as a guest artist with the "President's Own" United States Marine Band Brass Quintet. On the baroque trumpet he has performed with the Victoria Bach Festival, the Staunton Music Festival, the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Tempesta di Mare-The Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra, and Spire Baroque Orchestra in Kansas City, MO. As a featured soloist on baroque trumpet he has performed extensively with Chatham Baroque in Pittsburgh, PA; the Tallahassee Bach Parley in Florida; and the Redeemer Artes Early Music Festival in Austin, Texas.
Also active in commercial music, Chris has performed as a local musician with the national broadway touring productions of A Chorus Line, Gypsy, Carousel, Chicago, Sweet Charity, and The Sound of Music. Additional commercial experience includes performances with Chuck Mangione, Marvin Hamlisch, John Pizzarelli, Steve Lippia, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Fifth Dimension, Asleep at the Wheel, The Bar-Kays, Lee Greenwood, and a Texas tour with the Harry James Orchestra to name a few. He is an alumnus of the Disney All-American College Orchestra where he performed hundreds of shows in Orlando, Florida.
An avid educator and proponent for new music, Chris has previously served on the faculty of Texas A&M University-Kingsville and The University of Texas at San Antonio. He has presented masterclasses at some of the nations leading music schools and conferences including Arizona State University, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of North Texas, The University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, The University of Denver, the University of Connecticut, Colorado State University, Michigan State University, the University of Utah, the Texas Music Educators Conference, the International Trumpet Guild conference, and at the conference of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors. He has been a member of commissioning consortiums and premiers for ensemble and solo trumpet works by composers John Corigliano, Kevin Puts, Joseph Turrin, Jason Haney, Anthony Plog, James Stephenson, John Mackey, Rob Deemer, Stefan Freund, and Joel Puckett. He also performed as Principal Trumpet in the Carnegie Hall world premiere of John Corigliano's Symphony No. 3, "Circus Maximus".
He holds degrees in music performance and education from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Memphis with additional studies as an exchange student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. His former teachers include Ray Sasaki of the Saint Louis Brass Quintet; and Ray Crisara, former principal trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and third trumpet with the NBC Symphony under Arturo Toscanini. Additionally, Chris has studied with Tom Booth of the Dallas Symphony; John DeWitt, formerly of the Houston Symphony, John Gracie of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Dr. David Spencer, Albert Ligotti, and Dr. Edward Sandor. Chris is a Conn-Selmer performing artist and plays Bach Stradivarius trumpets.