Christian Whitacre

Christian Whitacre is a rural Virginia-raised, now NYC-based orchestral and chamber musician. As an orchestral performer, Christian has performed with the Washington National Opera, the New World Symphony, the Harrisburg Symphony, the Washington Chamber Orchestra, the Atlantic Symphony, Philharmonia Boston, and the Mid-Atlantic Symphony on stages ranging from Chicago Symphony Hall to the Kennedy Center and the Santo Domingo Conservatory. He is currently Principal Bassoonist of the Great Falls Philharmonic.

In intimate chamber settings, Whitacre has been hailed as “dynamic and electrifying” as the bassoonist of IGNIS, a nationally award winning wind quintet founded in 2021. IGNIS was the sixth Graduate Woodwind Quintet at the University of Maryland, characterized by its commitment to unlocking the expressive potential of the wind quintet by celebrating the individuality of its members. IGNIS won first prize in the 2023 NOLA Chamberfest Emerging Artists competition and medaled at the 50th Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. The group also served as the Ensemble-In-Residence at the 2022 Maine Chamber Music Seminar. Through this quintet, Whitacre collaborates often with up-and-coming composers — illustrative examples include “Shivering” by Ancel Neely funded with support from the University of Maryland M-cubator grant. As a member of the double reed ensemble Duo Opabinia, Whitacre was invited to present a recital of Clara Schumann’s “Piano Trio in G Minor” at the 53rd International Double Reed Society Annual Conference.

Passionate about contemporary music and pushing the boundaries of the classical canon, Whitacre performed as principal bassoon with the inaugural American Modern Orchestra at the Mostly Modern Festival. His extensive new music repertoire includes the commissioning and world premiere of “Ready Five” by composer Nicholas Fife for bassoon and electronics.

Whitacre has completed fellowships at the Miami Music Festival and the Atlantic Music Festival. He was previously a Young Artist at the Kent Blossom Music Festival, where he performed as principal in a side-by-side with The Cleveland Orchestra. Whitacre completed his Master’s in Bassoon at the University of Maryland under the tutelage of Joseph Grimmer. He also holds a Bachelor’s in Bassoon from the New England Conservatory, where he studied under Principal Bassoonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Richard Svoboda. Whitacre is currently pursuing a Professional Studies Certificate with International Contemporary Ensemble Artistic Director Emeritus Rebekah Heller at the Mannes School of Music. His other mentors have included William Winstead, Rachael Elliot, Barrick Stees, and Charles McCracken.

Alongside acclaimed oboist Jaqueline Leclair, Whitacre’s recent studio recording of composer Viet Cuong’s piano trio “Trains of Thought” is available now on all streaming platforms. When not making reeds in front of reality television, Christian can be found drinking an iced coffee next to his orange cat, Fred.