Christopher Lamb

Hailed as a dynamic and versatile performer, Christopher Lamb joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Percussionist in 1985. He subsequently made his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic in the world premiere of Joseph Schwantner's Percussion Concerto, one of several commissions celebrating the Philharmonic's 150th anniversary and has since performed the work to critical acclaim with orchestras throughout the USA. Mr Lamb also gave the world premiere of Tan Dun's Concerto for Water Percussion , a second work which the New York Philharmonic commissioned for him, and has performed the work to rave reviews on the Philharmonic's tour to South America as well as in Asia and Europe with such notable orchestras as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Mr Lamb's performance of Tan Dun's concerto was selected by Maestro Kurt Masur to be included in the collection of New York Philharmonic CDs highlighting the Masur years. In November 2001, the third commission for Mr. Lamb by the New York Philharmonic, Susan Botti's EchoTempo, was given its world premiere by Ms Botti, Mr Lamb and the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Maestro Masur.

In 1999 Mr Lamb was the recipient of a prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award to lecture and conduct research in Australia. During his five-month residency at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, he presented a series of master classes and seminars entitled "A Comprehensive Examination of Orchestral Percussion", a methodology he has refined over years of teaching experience.

Mr Lamb has given clinics and masterclasses throughout the USA and on nearly every continent. He has recorded chamber works on the New World, Cala, and CRI labels. A former member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic, he is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.  He has been on the Manhattan School of Music faculty since 1989.