top of page
Biography

A native of Austin, Texas, Christopher Mothersole is Instructor of Clarinet & Chamber Music at the University of West Georgia. Prior to his appointment in 2019, he served as principal clarinet of the Great Falls Symphony and member of the orchestra's resident wind quintet, the Chinook Winds. His performances with the ensemble have been featured on Montana Public Radio and Montana PBS’s 11th & Grant, the “premier music outlet […] seeking the state’s most acclaimed, accomplished, and pioneering talent”, showcasing a wide variety of works and imaginative programming.

Praised for his "pure, yet colorful tone and amazing technical facility", Christopher has performed on both sides of the Atlantic under the baton of the world’s premier conductors, including Bernard Haitink, Sir Roger Norrington, Hugh Wolff, and Tito Muñoz. In a special collaboration sponsored by the Grammys, he performed in the Berklee Symphony Orchestra with DJ Premier in the SXSW Film Festival selection Re:Generation, redefining the classical music genre by fusing it with hip-hop and electronic music.

Christopher's most recent work places him at the forefront of clarinet performance with guitar effect pedals. He has presented on this topic for the International Clarinet Association on multiple occasions, demonstrating the enhanced sound capabilities of using live effects and working together with composers to create new music for what has been nicknamed "EFX Clarinet". His duo CLX, together with Timothy Fitzgerald (Professor of Clarinet, University of North Georgia), presented & performed at ClarinetFest with the goal of empowering performers with the knowledge and tools to get started with using effects pedals. Recent compositions and commission projects include two works by Jenni Brandon (Cacophony for Clarinet & Delay, Chansons de la Nature for Clarinet & Delay) and several of Christopher's own compositions (Diptych for EFX Clarinet Duo, Autokinesis for Solo EFX Clarinet, DEMO for Solo EFX Clarinet).

Christopher enjoys a life of freelancing in the Southeast region, having performed with ensembles including the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, Carroll Symphony, and LaGrange Symphony. In addition to serving as a woodwind instructor for the Carroll Symphony's Music Academy, he enjoys working with the students of the Carrollton City Schools and the Carroll County School System in group and 1-on-1 lessons.

Christopher earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, studying under Craig Nordstrom of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  He continued his studies in London, England, graduating from the Royal College of Music with a Master of Performance degree, where his principal teachers included Richard Hosford (BBC Symphony Orchestra), Timothy Lines (London Symphony Orchestra), and Colin Lawson (Scholar & Director of the Royal College of Music).

Interested in Private Lessons?
Visit the "Contact" Section!

Events

Upcoming Events

April 4th, 2023

UWG Faculty Recital

with Wayne Gilreath, piano

University of West Georgia Campus Center Ballroom

April 12th, 2023

The Clarinet Diaries

Stone Visiting Artist Series Lecture

Dangle Theater, University of West Georgia

April 19th, 2023

John Mackey's Divine Mischief

Concerto Performance with University of West Georgia Wind Ensemble

Carroll County Schools Performing Arts Center

May 9th, 2023

Nathan Daughtrey's Twitch (EFX Version)

Concerto Performance with Carrollton High School Wind Ensemble

Mabry Center for the Arts

July 6th, 2023

ClarinetFest 2023: Solo Recital

Bill Smith's Slow Motion & Jenni Brandon's Cacophony

Westin Westminister, Denver CO

July 8th, 2023

ClarinetFest 2023: Lecture

Breaking Boundaries: Using Pedal Effects for Cross-Genre Opportunities in Classical Music

Westin Westminister, Denver CO

Media

Media

EFX Clarinet: Experiments with Guitar Effects Pedals
All Videos

All Videos

Watch Now
(See the EFX Clarinet Section for More!)
2016 Appearance on the Emmy Award-Winning Series,
"11th & Grant" (Montana PBS)
Photos