Christopher Eanes

Christopher Eanes is a musician and arts leader whose lifelong mission has been to engage people in the art and artistry of choral singing. Over his twenty-five-year career, Chris has embraced every role within the choral community—singer, teacher, conductor, administrator, and board member—working with youth, professional, and community organizations. His concert work has taken him from Italy and Australia to South Africa and across the United States.

After starting his career teaching high school choir in northwest New Jersey, Chris spent a decade as the artistic director and CEO of the Cincinnati Boychoir. There, he balanced international travel and world-class collaborations with accessible local performances and the social development of more than 100 boys each year.

Chris is the founder of Collegium Cincinnati, a professional choral-orchestral ensemble specializing in historically informed performance, and the co-founder (with his wife, KellyAnn Nelson) of the Young Professionals Choral Collective. Building on his entrepreneurial work, he often consults with choirs to help identify their unique value proposition.

Since 2019, he has served as the executive director of the Cathedral Choral Society, the symphonic choir-in-residence at Washington National Cathedral. Under his leadership, the organization has expanded its programming to celebrate emerging and traditionally marginalized voices, attracting over 10,000 patrons annually and reaching audiences in 22 countries. CCS is recognized for its innovative and inclusive programming and cutting-edge marketing and development tactics.

Chris began his musical journey as a pianist and discovered his love for choral-orchestral music and conducting while a student at Occidental College. He continued his education in Los Angeles and Milan, ultimately earning his doctorate in choral music from the University of Southern California.  His scholarly contributions include articles on music history and the boy’s changing voice, stemming from a collaborative study with the Cincinnati Boychoir and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He recently completed a term as a column editor for the Choral Journal, the monthly publication of the American Choral Directors Association.

Before entering the classroom in 2000, Chris envisioned a career as a professional sailor, having crossed two oceans on distressingly small vessels. Now, he proudly resides in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, D.C., with KellyAnn and their two children, Zaiya and Coleman. In his free time, he enjoys trying to keep squirrels out of his community garden plot and researching his family’s genealogy.