BIOGRAPHY

Chris Dorner (b. 2004) is a composer who represents an intersection between jazz, rock, and contemporary classical music. Chris thrives on systematic and analytical approaches to music, focusing on creating a unique soundscape through timbre and harmony, while drawing on his background in jazz and rock music. Chris is a student at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, pursuing degrees in Music Education and Music Composition—studying under Jeremy Lynn Allen. His former teachers include Marco-Adrián Ramos, Robert K. Mueller, Marshall Jones, and Rick Salonen. Additional teachers have included Jennifer Jolley, Sara Carina Graef, and Karen Walwyn. Chris collaborates with many ensembles at the University of Arkansas, with several groups commissioning him to premiere original works, as well as performing his transcriptions and arrangements. Chris has self-published numerous pieces and has had performances across the United States. Chris has been selected for Kris Carlisle’s 2025 edition of his award-winning project, The American Evolution, highlighting the voices of queer composers. Chris is a member of the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP), the International Horn Society (IHS), and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Chris has been a selected composer for the 2019 Aspiring Artists of Texas Call for Scores, the 2021 Evan Erickson Call for Scores, an awarded winner of the 2022 Penn State Ballora-Wang Young Composers Competition, and a presenter at the 6th-annual Research On Contemporary Composition Music Festival (ROCC-6) at the University of North Georgia.