Chris Salerno

Chris Salerno is an inventive and creative composer. For nearly forty years, Chris has been writing music for concert band, choir, orchestra, chamber ensembles, piano, children’s songs, and most recently, writing congregational music and hymn tunes.

Chris has also been an active arranger and orchestrator. He has composed, arranged, and orchestrated for CD accompaniment recordings for the Standard of Excellence, Tradition of Excellence, and String Basics instrumental method books, all published by Kjos. He also serves as an Arranger for Martha Basset.

Salerno’s concert band music has been performed at the MidWest International Band and Orchestra Clinic by the VanderCook College of Music Symphonic Band in Chicago, as well as the Radford University Symphonic Band in Radford, VA, and the West Point Military Academy Band in New York. His orchestral music has been played by The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra (in a reading session), as well as the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra. His choral music has been performed by the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church Choir in Lynchburg, VA, the Worsham Baptist Church Choir and the Heritage Baptist Church Choir, both in Farmville, VA.

Salerno received a Best Creative Thesis Award from Radford University for his Graduate composition recital. His concert band music has been selected twice for the New Music Symposium in Virginia. He has also been selected for Reviewer’s Choice twice in The Instrumentalist Magazine.

Salerno’s music has been published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, Alfred Music, and Waitron Brass Music. His music appears on CD recordings from the Neil A. Kjos Music Company and Martha Bassett’s Christmas Album entitled Magnificat. He has been commissioned from concert bands across the Midwest and eastern parts of the US.

He has had the privilege of conducting the VanderCook College of Music Symphonic Band, the Radford University Symphonic Band and Percussion Ensemble, the Canandaigua High School Symphonic Band, the Worsham Baptist Church Choir, and the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church Choir.

Salerno earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. There, he studied Euphonium with Roger Rocco, former principal tubist with the Honolulu and Seattle Symphony Orchestras and substitute for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Salerno then went on to earn a Master of Arts degree from Radford University in Radford, VA. There he studied composition with composer Mark Camphouse ( A Movement For Rosa, Tribute, To Build A Fire).

PRIOR EXPERIENCE

I have taught for 17 years as a professional music educator in public and private schools, as well as college.  In the public school setting, I have been a general music teacher, choir director, and band director. In private school settings I have been an adjunct orchestra teacher and a music teacher, band director, and classroom teacher.

Public School General Music Teacher: General Music (Pre-K-5th grade)  | 4th/5th Chorus | 2 productions per year | Annually co-writing 5th grade graduation song

Public School Choir/Band Director: 6th grade Music Exploratory | 7th, 8th grade Choirs | High School Vocal Music class, High School Concert Choir  | Music Appreciation (5th/6th grade) | 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grade choirs | Middle School Pep Band, Band | High School Marching Band, Band

Private School: 4th/5th grade classroom teacher | 9-12 grade English Composition | General Music (1st-3rd) | Violin (4th/5th) | Music Appreciation (4th/5th) | Band (9-12) | Wrote music for various school events | Play piano for Chapel services

College Teaching : Musicianship Classes | Piano Classes | Private Piano Lessons | Music Theory Classes | Played in Liberty Symphony Orchestra

TEACHING STYLE

I create a relaxed, yet focused teaching environment. I believe it's important to be positive when teaching, praising successes then pointing out areas needing improvement. I like to give my students incentives for practicing.