CHRISTOPHER DAWES, numbered among Canada’s leading church musicians, concert organists and choral accompanists, is also an active freelance theatre musician, writer, and consultant. He has given concerts in all of Canada’s major cities, and has toured, and been recorded and broadcast in the U.S.A. and Europe. Mr. Dawes currently divides his time between his family, freelance performing and workshop-leading; performing, directing and composing in adjunct capacity to music and drama programs of the University of Toronto, and the Directorship of three institutions well-known in Canada’s organ world: the production company Organ Alternatives, the Organ Concerts and Academy at Stratford Summer Music, and Canada’s Summer Institute of Church Music in Whitby. Having served Toronto’s St. James’ Cathedral first as organist and later as Director of Music for twelve years ending in 2003, his most recent church musical ministry is as consultant and Lead Musician at Toronto’s Church of St. George the Martyr.
An active Toronto solo keyboardist and choral accompanist for nearly two decades, most recently Mr. Dawes has been featured soloist in several of Roy Thomson Hall's popular "Choir and Organ" concerts and was rehearsal pianist to the Toronto Symphony's world premiere of Eric Idle's "Not the Messiah." In this season he will serve for a third year as accompanist and continuo player to Hellmuth Rilling in the Toronto Bach Festival, will tour his popular “Holy Song” concert program across Canada, will appear with saxophonist Daniel Rubinoff in Edmonton's "Sundays at 3" concert series, and will continue to perform, record and tour regularly with the Toronto Children's Chorus under its new Artistic Director Elise Bradley. He and Peter Tiefenbach mounted their third production of Dawes' play "Two Musics in Mind" about Glenn Gould and J.S. Bach at the Niagara International Chamber Music Festival this summer, and will reprise it in the Toronto Bach Festival in October.
He is known for a musicianship that freely crosses classical and popular styles and eras; for his imaginative, informed and approachable presentation of both the familiar and the obscure, and for his love of history, people, and all that is unusual and inspirational in music. Born in the United States and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Chris lives with his wife Marcia, and their sons Nathaniel and Simon, in Georgetown, 50km northwest of Toronto.
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