Director

Chris Clowdus, Artistic Director

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Christopher Clowdus was appointed Artistic Director of the Greater New Haven Community Chorus in 2004. He holds the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Religion, Phi Beta Kappa, from Birmingham-Southern College, the Master of Arts degree from the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University, and the Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music. Mr. Clowdus studied organ with James Cook and conducting with Thomas Gibbs and Marguerite Brooks and has received additional instruction from Martin Jean, David Connell, and David Hurd.

In 2001, Mr. Clowdus was named a Fellow of the Conductors Institute of South Carolina and was coached by Donald Portnoy, Karen Deal, Peter Jaffe, and Paul Vermel. He has conducted operatic and orchestral works with members of the Chinese National Opera Orchestra in Beijing and the Xi'an Symphony Orchestra in Xi'an, China and has performed in St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center with the Yale Camerata and Pro Musica. In 2006, Mr. Clowdus appeared as guest conductor with the Prague Radio Symphony, leading members of the GNHCC on a performance tour of major venues in Austria and the Czech Republic.

While at Yale, Mr. Clowdus served as an assistant conductor of the acclaimed Yale Camerata, Seminary Organist & Director of Music at Berkeley Divinity School and Director of Music in Yale Divinity School's Marquand Chapel. He is a member of the American Symphony League, American Choral Directors Association, the American Guild of Organists, The Conductors Guild, the Connecticut Music Educators Association, the Music Educators National Conference, the National Catholic Educators Association, and the Royal School of Church Music.

In addition to his duties as Artistic Director of the GHNCC, Mr. Clowdus also serves as Associate Conductor of The Connecticut Chamber Orchestra, Chair of the Department of Fine Arts and Director of Music at Sacred Heart Academy (Hamden, CT), and Director of Music at Saint Peter's Episcopal Church (Milford, CT). He is active as a conductor, keyboardist, and organ and church music consultant. In his spare time, he may be found cooking, traveling, snowboarding, swimming, and caring for his dogs S'bastian and Jäg'r.