Christopher Rochester is an African American musician, educator, and composer that has been working at the professional level for 15 years. He has studied and played with artists such as Greg Osby, George Garzone, Scotty Barnhart (current leader of the Count Basie Band), Bill Pierce, and many other musicians at the forefront of the music industry. Chris was exposed to many Black American cultural practices during his youth, and was fortunate enough to be able to quickly understand how much influence that culture plays in music. This has afforded him the ability to both perform and teach in a way that shines light on the cultural influences of Black American traditions.
As an educator he’s taught in Florida, Minnesota, Georgia, and Alabama, helping students receive scholarship offers from the University of North Florida, Berklee College of Music, University of Central Florida, Florida State University, University of North Texas, and the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. A number of his students have been recognized as some of the best high school students in the state of Florida, as they have won many auditions and awards accordingly.
