BIOgraphy

Dr. Christopher Ferrara
Violinist, Educator, producer

Violinist, Dr. Christopher Ferrara, has appeared on stage throughout the United States and Europe gaining international recognition as an acclaimed chamber musician and prominent educator.  Redefining what it means to be a classical musician in the 21st century, Ferrara has incorporated his enthusiasm for chamber music, gaming, and all-things tech to draw an entirely new demographic to the concert hall.  From live video broadcasts to intimate 360 camera footage of performances, Ferrara is committed to reimagining ways to connect audiences to live chamber music performances.

Fusing his proclivity for technology, gaming, and chamber music, Ferrara spent several years touring as principal violinist and Audio-visual Engineer of the Triforce Quartet, as well as a member of the Boston-based Videri String Quartet.  Both quartets specialize in mixing classical music with videogame music covers to create utterly unique and intoxicating programs.  During his tenure, Triforce Quartet gained international acclaim, recorded two full albums, and was invited to perform at many notable conventions such as PAX and MAGFest as well as guest appearing with Video Games Live and Capcom Live.  He was also the main producer for Videri String Quartet’s first full album called Bits & Bytes, which mixes some of the warhorses of the classical quartet repertoire such as Dvorak, Shostakovich, and Ravel with popular videogames such as Final Fantasy, Mario, and Zelda.

 Having been introduced to concert production while touring, along with producing livestream broadcasts for the quartets, Ferrara became enamored with music recording technology. After interning for a couple years at Skillman Music Studios in Brooklyn, New York he became a Producer and Recording Engineer there.  He now continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the digital medium by experimenting with POV and 360 cameras allowing the audience to get up close and personal with the musicians.  Besides being a producer and audio engineer, Ferrara is also a frequent recording artist himself and has been featured in many major videogame soundtracks such as the Mages of Mystralia and the Final Fantasy franchises.

While being well known for his contributions in the eclectic video game cover world, Ferrara is equally known as a notable classical free-lance artist having appeared on stage at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Benaroya Hall.  He is a regular invitee to chamber music series across the country including the New York Classic Forum, Forte New York Chamber Music Series, and the Rites of Spring Music Festival, among others, and has shared the stage with many of today’s leading artists including former and current members of the Ensō, Jack, Daedalus, Brentano, and Emerson String Quartets.

Despite his busy performance schedule, Ferrara is a passionate and devoted pedagogue dedicated to developing young talents.  He has taught and given masterclasses at many prominent institutions including Long Island Conservatory, Great Neck Conservatory, and Bard Conservatory’s Pre-College Division, and is regularly invited to teach at summer festivals across the country including East Carolina University’s Chamber Music Institute, Wyoming Seminary’s Creative Arts Program, and 4Strings Music Festival.  His teaching style is one that melds the traditions of his past teachers and mentors, Hagai Shaham, Soovin Kim, Philip Setzer, and Ara Gregorian with a modern approach in attaining a student’s full potential and individuality.

Dr. Ferrara holds a Bachelor of Music degree from East Carolina University as well as a Master of Music and Doctorate in Musical Arts degrees from Stony Brook University where he studied under renowned violinist, Hagai Shaham and members of the Emerson String Quartet.  He currently performs on a contemporary violin made in 2006 by Daniel Salini.