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Christopher Dedrick |
Born: September 12, 1947
Three-time Gemini Award winner for best original music scores, Chris Dedrick is an American-Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, singer and music producer.
While in his teens, he was signed to his first recording contract to compose, arrange and sing with the brothers/sisters vocal group, The Free Design, which recorded seven popular albums. He soon began conducting, arranging for and recording with many other artists including Peter, Paul and Mary, Melissa Manchester, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Kenny Loggins, Simon & Garfunkel with James Taylor, Odyssey, Barry Mann, Merry Clayton, and more. During this period he also composed several chamber works, instrumental solos with wind ensemble, concert pieces for voice, and contributed to the educational music field.
In the early 1970's Chris served in the U.S. Air Force as chief arranger for the Airmen of Note in Washington, D.C. During that period his work in New York continued to flourish as he wrote for and produced records and commercials, and made TV and concert appearances including a series of performances as vocalist/composer with several U.S. orchestras.
Chris is known for his chamber works, jazz pieces, and small symphonic works, a compliment to his success as a songwriter, popular arranger, and film and television writer. He has written many recent works for the Canadian Brass and was a major contributor both as arranger and composer to their latest recordings. Christmas of 1994 saw his "Mother and Child" suite for brass quintet and choir premiered by the Canadian Brass and the Bach-Elgar Choir of Hamilton, Ontario. In 1995 the Brass performed and recorded his "Fantasies for Anna" in a broadcast concert from the CBC Glenn Gould Theatre. In December 1995 Chris was invited to conduct the Canadian and American (Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center) premieres of "Entre Nous," a piece commissioned and performed by the Canadian Brass with principal brass players from the New Philharmonic.
In the last few years Chris has added many television and film writing credits, notably the score for the Ontario Pavilion for EXPO 86, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and The Ray Bradbury Theatre. He scored the TV movies "Glory, Glory," "Race To Freedom," and the 1996 Gemini Award winner "Million Dollar Babies." His special talents as an orchestrator have been utilized in dozens of feature films.
Chris has served on the executive board of the Guild of Canadian Film Composers and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. In addition, he serves on the Board of Patrons of Wisdom, and is the founder and director of the Canadian Film Orchestra featuring many of Toronto's finest musicians.
Publications by Christopher Dedrick