Christopher Whitley

Dr. Christopher Whitley is a member of The Oscar Peterson School of Music faculty, teaching private violin lessons. 
 
Praised for his “quicksilver brilliance” (Chicago Tribune) and described as “…a sound magician with a deep understanding of composers’ intentions” (The Whole Note), Christopher is an engaging and versatile violinist, committed to exploring and performing music of all styles. 
 
As a founding member of the Thalea String Quartet, Christopher has performed recitals across North America, Europe, and China, and has appeared at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Massey Hall. The quartet has shared the stage with members of the Emerson, Brentano, Kronos, and St Lawrence String Quartets, and they have performed alongside celebrated artists including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, violist Lawrence Power, acclaimed Canadian band BADBADNOTGOOD, and visionary R+B artist Charlotte Day Wilson. 
 
Christopher has premiered and recorded dozens of works by new and emerging composers, including Nicole Lizée’s 2024 Juno Award-winning piece “Don’t Throw Your Head in Your Hands”. He has performed on period instruments at the Boston Early Music Festival, Domaine Forget, the Valley of the Moon Music Festival, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. During his time in the Bay Area, Christopher was a regular guest of San Francisco jazz group Le Jazz Hot, performing music inspired by Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt. 
 
A recipient of the 2021 Ann Divine Educator Award from the Fischoff Competition, Christopher has spent more than a decade developing and presenting innovative educational programming. Highlights include a strings program for young people with autism, and lecture presentations on non-verbal communication and diversity in classical music. He has led masterclasses and workshops at institutions including the University of Toronto, Wayne State Medical School, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Maryland.
 
As a teacher, Christopher’s goal is to encourage each student to discover their own unique and authentic musical voice, in an effort to foster the curiosity, creativity, and inventiveness that will allow students to become leaders and innovators in the field of music and beyond.
 
Christopher received his Bachelor’s of Music at McGill University studying with Mark Fewer, and received a Master's Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Ian Swensen. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Maryland, studying with David Salness. Other principal mentors include Kelly Parkins-Lindstrom, Daniel Ching, and William Fedkenheuer.
 
Christopher performs on a 1900 Stefano Scarampella violin, generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. In his spare time, he can be found at record stores, libraries, and coffee shops, and does whatever he can to get into a canoe.