About Chris
Chris Ferrari was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. At a young age, Chris was exposed to music and the arts through his parents, who encouraged him to explore all creative outlets. After years of piano lessons and singing in choirs, it was listening to Coltrane and Sonny Rollins recordings that inspired Chris to pursue playing saxophone and jazz music.
At age 9, Chris began his studies on the clarinet, learning both classical and jazz, which naturally led him to saxophone and later the flute. Chris began to study at the Denver School of the Arts in 2014, where he graduated in 2019. Additionally, he participated in the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts for six years, a program to which he attests much of his musical growth. Through dedication and hard work, Chris received statewide and national musical acclaim early on—Colorado All State Jazz Band, the Telluride Jazz All Stars, National YoungArts awards, Downbeat Magazine Student Music Awards, the Vail Jazz Workshop, and NYO Jazz were just a few of his accomplishments in high school. In 2018, Chris began to work in music education at the private level and through outreach with Ashley Elementary School, which led him to foster a love for teaching. Chris began studying at the New England Conservatory of Music in 2019, and graduated in 2023 with his Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance (Academic Honors, Phi Kappa Lambda Nominee, George Whitefield Chadwick Medal recipient). He is currently pursuing a master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. Chris currently teaches saxophone, clarinet, flute, improvisation, composition, and ear training at all levels.
Chris has performed alongside and worked with many notable musicians, including Sean Jones, Dianne Reeves, Wycliffe Gordon, Paul Romaine, Shane Endsley, Greg Gisbert, Ethan Iverson, Dave Holland, Maria Schneider, Tim Hagans, and Dave Liebman. Though Chris currently lives in New York City, he regularly performs throughout the Denver-Metro area with groups of his own and as a sideman. Chris is a founding member of Splifftet, a Denver-based collective that has been playing together for the past five years. At the New England Conservatory of Music, Chris studied with a number of influential teachers: Frank Carlberg, Jason Moran, Joe Morris, Jerry Leake, Melissa Aldana, and Miguel Zenón being just a few of them. Chris is passionate about composing and exploring creative approaches to improvisation. When he is not busy with his musical career, Chris loves to spend time outside hiking, running, and skiing, and frequently participates in SGI-USA activities.
For a full list of Chris’s accolades and artistic achievements, you can download his CV below: