Staff profile
Biography
Chris Massa is a PhD candidate in music composition under the supervision of Professor Richard Rijnvos, Dr James Weeks, and Professor Bennett Zon. His research is supported in part by a Bell Postgraduate Scholarship from University College. A composer, arranger, and conductor, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, graduating summa cum laude in 2003. Previously based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he has collaborated with various prominent ensembles and soloists in the area, such as Voces Solis, Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, Lara Lynn McGill, and William Caballer and Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Chris's compositions have been commissioned and premiered at conferences held by PMEA and ACDA, and he is the recipient of the 2017 Pittsburgh Philharmonic Young Composer Contest. Alongside his current focus on Passion oratorios, his research interests encompass music theology, eclecticism, synthesism, improvisation, nuanced interpretation, and musical borrowing.