Christopher Keach

Christopher Keach serves as Lecturer of Trumpet at the Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam, and maintains an active career as a performer across classical, jazz, and Afro-Cuban genres. He currently holds positions as Co-Principal of the Orchestra of Northern New York, section leader of the Northern Symphonic Winds, and member of the Potsdam Brass Quintet while teaching in diverse educational settings.

Education:

• Completing Doctor of Music (DMus) and Master of Music (MMus) in trumpet performance at McGill University's Schulich School of Music (studied with Prof. Richard Stoelzel)
• Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance and Bachelor of Music Education from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam (studied with Dr. John R. Ellis)

Research Interests: His work centers on performance science and electronic music, investigating healthy learning techniques, stress management for musicians, practice methods for long-term memory retention, and electronically augmented trumpet performance. This research bridges cognitive science with artistic expression, particularly through electronically enhanced traditional instruments.

Scientific Awards:

• Second place in the 2022 ITG Wind Band Excerpt Competition
• Finalist for the 2024 McGill Concerto Competition (performed Pakhmutova Trumpet Concerto)
• Finalist in the first Trumpeter’s Multi-Track Competition (TMTC)
• Recipient of the 2024-2025 Dean’s Essay Prize
• Recipient of the 2020-2021 International Grant Writing Competition for Music Performance
• CIRMMT Student Award for electronically augmented trumpet research

Advising and Grants: Christopher mentors students across K-12 through collegiate levels, including coaching brass quintets at the MasterWorks Festival and directing the Bay Shore High School Summer Music Program. His research has been funded by the CIRMMT Student Award and International Grant Writing Competition award, supporting exploration of performance science applications.

Ensembles and Collaborations: He performs with the Orchestra of Northern New York, Northern Symphonic Winds, and Potsdam Brass Quintet, collaborating with artists including Sergei Nakariakov, Anthony Plog, and the Septura Brass Septet across major venues like the International Trumpet Guild Conference and Palm Beach Opera Orchestra.