Chris Latournes is a multifaceted freelance percussionist and creative educator, praised for his “stirring” sound by the Boston Musical Intelligencer and sought after for his dynamic and attentive teaching style.
As an orchestral freelancer, Chris has appeared with diverse ensembles in almost all fifty states of the United States, Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, and Brazil. He has played with orchestras and artists such as The Beach Boys, The Who, Andrea Bocelli, Weird Al Yankovich, Katherine McPhee, the Star Wars in Concert North American Tour Orchestra, The Kingdom Hearts Video Game Orchestra (summer 2018 US tour), New World Symphony, Boston Philharmonic, Video Game Orchestra, Hartford Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra, Ridgefield Symphony, American Festival Orchestra: Pokemon Symphonic Evolutions, Final Fantasy Symphony, Genshin, Portland Symphony, New Britain Symphony, Nutmeg Symphony, Wallingford Symphony, New Bedford Symphony, Massachusetts Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony, Terra Haute Symphony, Columbus Philharmonic, New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, and the Bloomington Camerata Orchestra.
Chris has worked under many leading conductors including Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, Franz Welser-Most, Jeffrey Kahane, Hugh Wolff, Stephen Lord, Benjamin Zander, Cliff Colnot, and David Effron. He has appeared in many prestigious concert halls such as Boston's Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, Venetian Theater, Arsht Center, New World Center, Worcester's Mechanics Hall, Sanders Theatre, Woosley Hall, Musical Arts Center at Indiana University, the Verizon Center, The Fox Theatre of Atlanta and the Bushnell Theatre. Chris has also had the pleasure of playing in major concert arenas such as the Boston Garden, Verizon Center, AT&T Center, Amway Center, Mohegan Sun Arena, Resch Center, Rogers Arena (home of the 2010 Winter Olympics), Target Center, Verizon Wireless Arena, Las Vegas Arena, and the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Chris has been recorded on the Ravello record label.
As an educator, Chris has taught percussion at Boston University as well as maintained a private studio for the past twelve years. Originally from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, he has given percussion clinics throughout New England at Suffield Public Schools, Somers High School, Colchester Middle School, South Windsor High School, Windsor Locks Middle School, Connecticut Day of Percussion (2016) and the New England Conservatory of Music composition class. Chris strives to ignite a passion for music in his students, using a range of styles and approaches to help them build a strong technical foundation and a clear creative voice. Chris students have had success being accepted into their school bands, jazz band, Greater Hartford Youth Wind Ensemble, CMEA middle and high school regional orchestra, wind ensembles and All State Ensembles and the NAFME All National Orchestra.
Chris’s dedication to practice and performance has brought him honors and awards including the 2009 Percussive Arts Society International Convention Orchestral Percussion Mock Audition Winner and the 2005 Percussive Arts Society Cloyd Duff Scholarship.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Music with distinction from Indiana University, a Master of Music from Boston University, as well as continued studies at New England Conservatory. His primary teachers have been John Tafoya, Kevin Bobo, Tim Genis, Will Hudgins, David Smith, and Pat Hollenbeck. He has also studied drum set with Jim Gwin, hand drumming with Mikael Ringquist, and timpani with Dan Bauch. Chris has performed in masterclasses with Richard Weiner, Dan Druckman, Will James, Ted Adkatz, Ed Stephan, Raymond Froehlich, Jim Babor, Gerald Carlyss, Frank Epstein, and Cynthia Yeh.
When not playing percussion, Chris is an accomplished page turner having turned pages for the likes of Rohan De Silva accompanying Itzhak Perlman, Olga Kern accompanying Renee Fleming, Paul Lewis accompanying Lisa Batiashvili, Lars Voigt accompanying Christian Tetzlaff, and Jonathan Biss. During the work day hours Chris is the Windsor Locks Town Clerk. Chris is happily married to his wife Elizabeth and recently had a baby daughter. Chris is endorsed by Artifact Drumsticks and mallets.