Chris Humphrey

Chris Humphrey earned a Master of Science degree in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire, where he also received a Bachelor of Music with a dual major in voice and trombone. He has been the coordinator of music for the Portland, Maine public schools. He has been a faculty member at the University of New Hampshire, Bowdoin College, and Southern Maine Community College and his ensembles have performed in New York City, Germany, Italy, and France. At the University, Mr. Humphrey conducted the Bratton Hall Jazz Band and was director of the UNH Wildcat Marching Band. Before joining the faculty at UNH, Mr. Humphrey was a public school band director in the Belmont, Massachusetts school system.

As a jazz performer, Mr. Humphrey has been dubbed an “outstanding talent” (Sheila Jordan) and “quite a creative force” (Roberta Davis) by critics and performers who have heard his work. He has performed at Blue Note Jazz Clubs in New York, Tokyo, Jakarta, and Fukuoka, Japan. He has also appeared at numerous jazz festivals throughout the United States and abroad. In the 1990’s he was a member of the Denon recording artists, “The Ritz”, a Boston-based vocal jazz group. His debut solo CD “Nothing But Blue Sky” was released in 2008 on Cadence Jazz Records, and received many outstanding reviews from multiple publications including Jazz Times magazine. His 2-album tribute to jazz great Clark Terry, “The Voice Of Clark Terry (Volumes 1 and 2)” will be released in 2024.

Mr. Humphrey is in frequent demand as a clinician, performer, conductor, arranger, and composer. He has had works for concert band, chorus, jazz choir, and marching band commissioned by several New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts school music programs. He has guest conducted at numerous festivals in every state in New England, as well as Washington State, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Germany.