Harris to Take Leadership of ATU Choirs

Christopher H. Harris has been selected to serve as the next director of choirs at Arkansas Tech University.

Harris will assume those responsibilities beginning with the 2017-18 academic year. He will succeed the retiring Gary E. Morris, who served as director of choirs at ATU from 2002-17.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Harris is a conductor and choral composer. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Texas Southern University and began his career teaching in Houston, Texas. His choirs received numerous sweepstakes awards in state competition and invitations to perform with the Bay Area Chorus and as a demonstration group at the Texas Choral Directors Association Convention.

While living in the Lone Star State, Harris founded the Houston Master Singers. He remains affiliated with that organization as its artistic director. He is a former assistant director for the Houston Ebony Opera Guild.

Harris went on to earn his Master of Music degree in choral conducting from Ithaca College (N.Y.). He will receive his Doctor of Philosophy degree in choral conducting and choral music education from Florida State University in August 2017.

A published composer, Harris won the eastern and national divisions of the 2013 National Association for Music Education composition competition and the grand prize in the 2016 Ithaca College choral composition competition. His music has been performed internationally by mixed, men’s and treble choirs of varied ages and abilities.

Harris has performed as guest soloist for concerts with the Texas Southern University Choir, the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, the Houston Symphony Chorus, the 2013 Oswego School District production of Gabriel Faure’s “Requiem,” the choirs from Florida State University and the Tallahassee Community Chorus.

Visit www.atu.edu/music to learn more about the ATU Department of Music.