Living in multiple musical dimensions, percussionist and composer CHRIS SIES seeks to bring visceral sonic experiences to audiences through his “virtuoso flair” (Detroit Free Press) and unique voice. Chris has composed, produced, and performed with a multitude of artists and composers, collaborating in acts such as the Grammy award-winning Attacca Quartet, the Akropolis Reed Quintet, the National Arab Orchestra, Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble, Shara Nova’s My Brightest Diamond, Kid Millions with Man Forever, the Juno-award-nominated Land’s End Ensemble, among many others. He has performed extensively throughout North America at venues including the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, (le) poisson rouge, Princeton University, along with performances on the Vans Warped Tour, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, and the Bowling Green New Music Festival.

Possessing a “searing intensity” (College Music Symposium), Chris made his debut on New Amsterdam Records in 2019 as the percussionist and composer with the cross-continental new music ensemble, Latitude 49 on the release of their second album Wax and Wire. With an aim to combine elements of power electronics and death metal genres in his chamber music, Sies’ “aural assault” (TEMPO) these (were) used to harm, is a substantial feature on this release. Aside from his work with Latitude 49, Chris also records under the duo project ARCHISMS with long-time friend and collaborator Sam Cooper, and is a member of the Willo Collective, a percussion-heavy venture dedicated to creating collaborative and interdisciplinary work. Chris also performs under the moniker S[K]IES - a solo project dedicated to what he calls “psychedelic noise-metal” through relentless experiments with percussion and electronics that focus on sounds and structures inspired from altered states of consciousness.

In addition to New Amsterdam, Chris can be heard on New Focus Recordings, Furious Artisans, Flag Day Recordings, and NAXOS recording labels.

Chris has been featured as a guest at the University of Michigan, the University of Chicago, the American College Dance Association, the Society for Electroacoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS), and the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), among others.

A passionate educator, Chris has instructed a diverse body of students at Triton College (River Grove, IL), The People’s Music School (Chicago, IL), The Chicago Academy for the Arts, and Baylor University (Waco, TX), in addition to his work as a private instructor. Previous students have won international competitions, attended various music festivals, and gone on to become educators at universities, public schools, freelancers, and creators forming their own artistic projects while investing in their communities.

Believing in music as a lifestyle of constant learning, Chris has developed his work through residencies and fellowships at renowned institutions including the Grafenegg Academy, the Banff Centre for Creativity, the Bang on A Can Summer Festival, and the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall.

Chris holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from University of Michigan where he directed the Modern Percussion Lab - an environment dedicated to fostering the creative spirit of performer-composers through collaboration and the formation of original work. Now based in Calgary, Alberta, Chris is the Principal Percussionist of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, co-directs the Sound Atlas New Music Festival, and is on music faculty at the University of Calgary.