Christopher Billings is a freelance musician and composer living in Los Angeles. He has written music for AT&T, Coca-Cola, Sulzer Turbo Services, West Virginia Division of Tourism, Super Sports XXL, and Jetpack Aviation, to name a few. Films he has worked on have appeared at the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner and the El Cid Short Film Festival.
Upon graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelors of Music Education from the University of North Texas in 2012, he earned a Masters of Percussion Performance from The University of Arizona, where he served as Teaching Assistant, the Director of the Steel Band Program, and the leader of the Rosewood Marimba Band.
After growing up in the DFW area, Christopher began his studies at the University of North Texas. In 2008, Christopher was chosen as a winner of the UNT Concerto Competition. He performed the first movement of Avner Dorman’s duet percussion concerto “Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!” with Kathryn Vorel and the UNT Symphony Orchestra under Maestro David Itkin.
Christopher has freelanced around the Dallas and Tucson areas as both a jazz vibraphonist and a classical percussionist. His performance credits include: The Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra, The Latin Funk Project, Vibra Más, The UNT Latin Jazz Ensemble, The University of Arizona Jazz Combo and Jazz Band, The Rosewood Marimba Band, and The Malleus Percussion Group.
Christopher has performed across the world. In 2010, he gave concerts along the Eastern United States in 2010 with the University of North Texas’ Gamelan “Bwana Kumala.” As a member of the UNT Indoor Drumline, Christopher performed across Belgium in Spring 2011 with a featured clinic and concert at the Indoor Percussion Europe Championships in Tournai.
In February 2013, Christopher was invited to perform at the Robert McCormick Marimba Festival in Tampa, FL as a member of the Rosewood Marimba Band. In addition to performing a showcase concert with the ensemble, Christopher also performed solo marimba works as part of the festival’s Showcase Concert.
Christopher has had the opportunity to perform with many world-renowned performers. Performance credits include appearances with steel drum virtuoso Andy Narell, timpanist Frederic Macarez, percussionist Valerie Naranjo, studio musician Emil Richards, vibraphone artist Ed Smith, Professor Scott Herring, and Professor Mark Ford. During his time at UNT, Christopher was a founding member of the Symbiote Percussion Quartet, a group seeking to promote new percussion chamber music.
Christopher has studied with many notable percussionists in private study or master classes including: Norman Weinberg, Mark Ford, Robert Schietroma, Christopher Deane, Ed Smith, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Paul Rennick, José Apónte, John Tafoya, Gwen Burgett, and Henry Okstel.