Guitar Faculty

Christopher, born 1985 in Berlin, Germany, started playing at the age of 3. At age 7, he won first place in the solo guitar competition “Jugend Musiziert”. In following years he won various local competitions in Berlin. At age 12 he was admitted to the Julius-Stern- Institute, the program for young musicians at the University of the Arts in Berlin, as a student of Professor Martin Rennert. From 1999-2003 he continued lessons as a high school student with Professor Anne Waller at Northwestern University near Chicago. During this period he participated in various chamber ensembles as well as winning first and second prizes in the Society of American Musicians competition in the category solo guitar. He also participated in solo and ensemble performances on his second instrument, cello. After returning to Germany in 2003, he resumed studies with Professor Rennert in Berlin as well as with Professor Thomas Mueller-Pering in Weimar. He has appeared in numerous performances with other instrumentalists, in particular with violin and voice, in addition to his solo work. While obtaining his artist diploma, Chris discovered his love for teaching and has been on the staff of the Musikschule City-West (formerly Berlin-Wilmersdorf), the Waldschule in Berlin and other public schools in Berlin that offer instrumental instruction as part of their curriculum.

He is the president of the South Bay Guitar Society.