Christopher LeCluyse

tenor

Christopher LeCluyse discovered early music in seventh grade, when an inspired music teacher played Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame for his class. He studied voice and English at the Oberlin Conservatory and Oberlin College and has since continued pursuing both vocations as a singer and a teacher. His real immersion in early music and choral repertoire began as he completed a PhD in English at the University of Texas at Austin, studying bilingual poems and songs from medieval England.

While in Austin he sang with Conspirare, the Texas Early Music Project, La Follia Austin Baroque, and the Schola Cantorum at St. Mary’s Cathedral and appeared as a guest artist with the Houston-based groups Ars Lyrica and Canzonetta. In the San Francisco Bay area, in addition to Magnificat, Chris has performed with Conspirare, Voices of Music and Voces Musicales. In 2008 Chris performed in the American debut of Alessandro Striggio’s Missa sopra Ecco sì beato giorno at the Berkeley Festival. He taught workshops in vocal technique, chant, and medieval carols at the San Francisco Early Music Society Medieval/Renaissance Workshop and sang with Magnificat in a concert of Christmas vespers by Claudio Antonio Rigatti.

Chris is an assistant professor of English and writing center director at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. His recordings include a CD with Conspirare of choral works by Tarik O’Regan, nominated in 2009 for two Grammy awards: “Best Classical Album” and “Best Choral Performance.” Chris is co-founder of Utopia Early Music, based in Salt Lake City.

background photo by Nika Korniyenko