Chris Turner
Chris Turner – Harmonica, Spoken Word
Harmonica virtuoso, Chris Turner was born into a musical family in London, England, and learned harmonica and recorder as a child. He has been playing professionally since 1967, working in a variety of idioms including Folk, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country, Early and Avantgarde music. While traveling extensively in Europe and Africa, he assimilated many different musical styles. Turner studied composition with Christopher Small and improvisation with John Stevens. In 1975, he was recognized for his virtuosity when he was awarded the European Harmonica Championship. Chris has toured with numerous professional bands and appears on many recordings. He has worked extensively as a composer, music director, and arranger for various theatrical organizations including Rhode Island’s prestigious Trinity Repertory Company, as well as for films, animations, radio and TV. A unique and very talented stylist on all kinds of harmonicas, Turner is equally at home playing blues, various folk styles, as well as modern classical music. He has premiered and recorded orchestral pieces composed for the harmonica, and has composed and transcribed others himself. Besides a variety of harmonicas, Chris is also proficient on flutes, bagpipes, shawms, keyboards, brass, synthesizers and some percussion. He has appeared as concerto soloist with the Rhode Island Philharmonic and the Ocean State Chamber Orchestra.
