Described as “…crisp and imaginative…” by San Francisco Classical Voice, percussionist, educator, and producer Christopher Clarino fosters collaborative relationships between composers, performers, and communities. His work spans contemporary music performance, interdisciplinary production, and arts leadership, with a particular focus on projects that bridge sound, gesture, and language.

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Clarino holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of California San Diego, where he studied with Steven Schick and completed a dissertation exploring the integration of American Sign Language and percussion performance. His research and artistic practice investigate how physical gesture, visual language, and sound intersect, informing a distinctive body of interdisciplinary performance work that places gesture and embodiment at the center of musical interpretation. This focus is reflected in projects such as his performances of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s INORI for gesturing soloist and audio playback, for which he gave both the U.S. and Brazilian premieres.

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As a percussionist, Clarino has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Festival Internacional Cervantino, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s “Noon to Midnight” marathon, among many others. He has appeared as a soloist with ensembles including the Eastman Wind Ensemble and the USMA Concert Band at West Point, and has collaborated with organizations such as Bang On A Can, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Monday Evening Concerts, and the Ojai Music Festival.

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In addition to his performance career, Clarino regularly serves as a producer, educator, and project coordinator for contemporary music initiatives in academic and festival settings. He is featured on recordings released by New World Records, Neuma Records, and Sideband Records.

A young man with brown hair, a beard, and wearing a beige T-shirt standing in front of a bookcase filled with books and documents.

  • Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) - Contemporary Music Performance, University of California San Diego

  • Master of Music (MM) - Applied Music, Stony Brook University

  • Bachelor of Music (BM) - Music Education, Eastman School of Music

  • Bachelor of Music (BM) - Applied Music, Eastman School of Music

    • ​Minor - American Sign Language, University of Rochester

view CV (.pdf)