Faculty Concert: Chris Opperman, Composition

Faculty Concert: Chris Opperman, Composition

Dr. Chris Opperman wields a special array of expertise. He is a composer of wildly original music, a top orchestrator and arranger, a dedicated and visionary educator, and a trusted advisor for an incredible cross-section of the music industry.

Since starting his Purple Cow Records label in 1998, Dr. Opperman has released six prior albums including 2001’s Klavierstücke, his first solo piano album, and 2010’s The Lionheart, an orchestral rock album. He has also released three EP’s including 2022’s Four Improvisations which feature studio-manipulated piano works, and two singles including “And If You Know” featuring Robert Martin.

With Arnie & Eric Roth of AWR Music, Dr. Opperman has worked on several national and international orchestral and chamber music tours including Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY, A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY, the FINAL FANTASY VII Remake Orchestra World Tour, The Beach Boys Holiday Vibrations Orchestra Tour, several Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tours, and Undertale LIVE. Dr. Opperman’s arrangements with AWR and others have been performed by renowned and accomplished orchestras at premiere venues which include Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, the Tokyo International Forum, and more.

Along with much other music, Opperman played piano on two of Steve Vai’s Grammy-nominated compositions, “Lotus Feet” from Real Illusions: Reflections and “The Attitude Song” from Sound Theories, Vols. I and II, both with the Metropole Orkest. He’s also performed with virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Mike Keneally, Indian classical music masters L. Shankar (a.k.a. Shenkar) and Zakir Hussein, former Duran Duran/Missing Persons guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, and many others.

Dr. Opperman holds a Ph. D. In Music Composition and has taught undergraduate and graduate level courses on music theory and composition, popular and classical music history, music technology, and the music industry.