Christopher Pratorius is a composer whose pieces have been performed in Istanbul, New York, Boston, New Haven, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Omaha, Annandale VA, Tempe AZ and in the greater Santa Cruz area. He received a B.A. in 1999 and an M.A. in Music in 2001, both from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Chris has written works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, vocalists, solo guitar, guitar ensemble and electronic media. In addition to "Pequeña América" commissioned by Nat Berman for UCSC Concert Choir, works that premiered this season include "Through a Crack in the Concrete" commissioned by Nicole Paiement for the UCSC Orchestra and "Tombs called Mathilde" for voice and viola commissioned by Polly Malan. Upcoming concerts include a preview of Chris's opera "Roxane de Bóveda," a bilingual, modern day retelling of Cyrano presented by Goat Hall in their Fresh Voices Festival on May 24th in San Francisco.Works that premiered last season include Snapshots by the Bay.. commissioned for the UCSC Guitar Ensemble, La Virgen a solas for soprano and organ premiered by C.A. Jordan at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco and a new version of Madrigal: Neruda’s Poema 20, a setting of poetry by Pablo Neruda for voice and chamber ensemble performed at the University of Minnesota by Laura Anderson, soprano, and conducted by Stanley Rothrock.
Previous projects include pieces inspired by the music and poetry of 13th century troubadour Martin Codax: Cantigas de mi Amigo Martin commissioned and premiered by the UCSC Women’s Chorale conducted by Lucik Aprahamian and Sonata: Ondas do Mar de Vigo premiered by Mesut Özgen and available on Mr. Özgen’s CD Troubadour. Both of these projects utilized Codax’s melodies as the basis for the composition, not only through the use of quotation and harmonization but also by doing an analysis of the melody and using it as a structural element, almost like a cantus firmus. In addition, the form of the poetry was often used to determine the form of the music, even in the sonata, which has no text.
Settings of Latin American poetry are also prominent, including 6 pieces based on poetry by Pablo Neruda. In 2004 New Music Works picked Madrigal: Neruda’s Poema 20 to be on its 25 th anniversary concert after three previous performances by the ensemble. Chris, who is half Guatemalan and a native Spanish speaker, also composes Nueva Canción: Mañana, tan linda was recorded by Nova Trova on their CD Agua and Cuando vino tu Padre will be on Melinda Velasco’s upcoming CD.
Chris teaches composition, theory and musicianship privately in Santa Cruz. He is also an instructor at Longay Conservatory of Guitar in Santa Clara and Staff Accompanist at The Studio, School of Classical Ballet in Soquel, CA.