Christopher Kelleher
Composer
Christopher Kelleher is an American composer, conductor, and tuba player whose work places him at the intersection of contemporary classical music and film scoring. Drawing heavily from his love of brass, Kelleher’s orchestral music explores a broad spectrum of sound, ranging from intimate simplicity to complex decadence with expansive cinematic soundscapes.
His work for film and television includes Black Ink, Last Night in Urbana, Airplane Store, and several additional projects completed and currently in development. His concert music includes a growing body of orchestral and chamber works, several of which have been premiered at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, including Astigmatisms, Marsh Creatures, and Space Dogs.
Kelleher began playing tuba as a child, eventually discovering that his love of movies and music could coexist. He went on to study music theory and composition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign under Carlos Carrillo and Scott Tegge.
In addition to his work as a composer and conductor, Kelleher is involved with two orchestral organizations. He is a founding member of the University of Illinois Film Score Orchestra and the Christopher Kelleher Recording Orchestra, an ensemble dedicated to recording new music and supporting composers and filmmakers.
The Recording Orchestra is perhaps best known for its ambitious “Want to Win a Grammy?” campaign.
