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master violinist

inspired teacher

photographer

CHRIS SOUZA

The human heart is like a string—vibrating to the unseen cadence of experience, pulsing to beauty, giving life, and the musician himself is the instrument, a living channel striking a universal chord. In our age of information overload and slick entertainment, it is hard to find an authentic nugget of gold when we sift through all the imposters, but when we do, there is no mistaking its value. It is my great pleasure to profile Christopher Souza—master violinist, violist, passionate teacher, and world traveler/photographer. Chris has accompanied high profile acts such as Celtic Woman, Mannheim Steamroller, and Natalie Merchant, but first and foremost, he has found his greatest fulfilment in passing on his gift. Composer Johannes Brahms said, “The only true immortality lies in one's children,” and this truth can also reflect the legacy of a great teacher—in this case, “Mr. Chris.”

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Musicians, no matter what genre, seem to possess a magical quality, and Mr. Souza is no exception. His love for life, contagious enthusiasm, and warmth can ignite the room with energy, yet his focus and refinement of soul burns like a quiet flame, defying the winds—and whims—of culture.

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Here he is in his own words, followed by snippets of his magnificent travel photography, contact information for his services as a highly-prized teacher and musician-for-hire. Enjoy!

Q: When did music first move you to tears or to dance and what were you listening to? How did music become your lifeline as you navigated the complicated process called growing up?

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A: When I was a child, my father attended night classes in order to complete his bachelor’s degree. I remember the semester that he enrolled in a music appreciation course… He had to listen to samples of classical and world music. I would wake up early before school and sneak into the living room to play the albums for myself. I was fascinated by the sounds I heard coming from the stereo speakers. I remember being transfixed by the Baroque and classical composers, especially Vivaldi, Bach, and Mozart. One piece from that occasion that still elicits the joy and wonder of discovery in my heart is the second movement of Bach’s Double Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C Minor.

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Q: If you could live inside the world of one piece of music, what would it be and what would that world be like?

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A: It is too great a burden to choose just one piece! However, I can narrow it down to one art form by one singular composer: I would be fulfilled and satisfied to live within the intoxicating soundworld created in the four symphonies of Johannes Brahms. As a person who experiences the world through the lens of emotion (I’m a true Cancerian), I am deeply moved by these four sublimely perfect works. In the symphonies, the listener is presented with the perfect recipe for a masterwork: balanced harmonies and Brahms’ exacting compositional voice are combined with desire, triumph, devastation, and hope, resulting in a palpable celebration of the human spirit.

Q: As a passionate and successful teacher, what have your students taught you through the years?

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A: I am honored by your assessment of my work. Throughout my years as an educator, coach, and clinician, I have learned that encouragement and affirmation are the most important things I can impart to a student of any age. As Shinichi Suzuki, said, “Where love is great, much can be accomplished.”

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Q: Give us a glimpse of a musician’s life on any given day---starting with morning coffee.

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A: I wake without an alarm. My days begin with coffee, standing in my kitchen. The house is silent, but only for an hour or so. I teach many homeschool families, which affords me the opportunity to split the teaching day into two parts: morning and afternoon/evening. The first students arrive sometime between 9 and 10 am each weekday. After a few hours of private lessons, I have a break to make lunch, answer emails, and do errands. Some days feature a planning meeting with my agent, Susanne Wilson. Susanne contracts all of my event work (eg. weddings and corporate functions). In the afternoon, I either resume teaching in my living room or head out for a rehearsal or a performance. My days are filled with happy, talented children and creative pursuits. Sometimes I feel like the luckiest guy around.

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Q: If you could hang with three composers, who would you spend the day with, what would you do, and where would you go?

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A: I mentioned Brahms earlier… Turns out he was highly self-critical. He burned many compositions before they ever found their way to the concert hall… so one of my dream days would be spent in conversation and counsel with Johannes… Maybe more pieces would live beyond the confines of his mind! I would also like to pay a visit to Mozart to ask him how to properly shape a phrase. I am humbled by the herculean task of performing his violin concerti in a stylistically appropriate way. Lastly, I would love to spend the day with Antoni Vivaldi, an Italian composer who wrote hundreds of concerti for the orphans of Venice, whom he taught and groomed as young musicians. I feel like Antonio and I would be kindred spirits. I would also love to get the inside scoop on Baroque ornamentation, which is quite an art in and of itself.

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Q: If you suddenly found yourself an alien in a strange world (without your instruments) where there was no music, how would you describe music to the inhabitants?

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A: Music is pure vibration. We who are blessed with the sense of hearing have the beautiful ability to translate these vibrations into information. Each listener has the freedom to process that information according to his or her own unique set of preferences.

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Q: Music often speaks for us—what cannot be put into words. For you, what has music said for you when you could not?

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A: “Where words fail, music speaks.” Music has helped me find comfort and joy in the face of adversity and suffering. Throughout my life, I have relied on musical expression to give voice to my emotions. On some occasions, music has been a worthy distraction from painful memories or difficult transitions. Other times, it has opened the doors of destiny.

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Q: As an accomplished violinist and violist, how did you know that these instruments were yours and a calling?

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A: My father and grandparents were pianists. At five, my parents enrolled me in piano lessons at a local music school. I floundered, and eventually quit after one year. However, when I was in the third grade, an orchestra visited my elementary school. Upon hearing the strings play, I knew deep in the core of my being that THIS was MY MUSIC. Now, all I had to do was convince my skeptical parents. The rest, as they say, is history.

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Q: Imagine yourself at 90—where are you? Are you still playing? Who is listening? What has been your greatest accomplishment as a musician? As a human being?

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A: For a while now, I have known that I will be teaching music until the end of my life. Many of my mentors continue to teach well into their seventies, eighties, and beyond! I also hope to play music with friends until the end. I have enjoyed a vibrant career filled with interesting and far-flung work. I’ve toured across China with an orchestra and played fiddle in a jam band in Germany. I was in the Lawrence Welk Touring Orchestra for two seasons. I got to play viola for Natalie Merchant, the Indigo Girls, and Celtic Woman. However, my greatest accomplishment is helping young people to discover their innate ability to achieve great things. I can hardly describe the pride and excitement I feel each time a student declares “I want to become a musician when I grow up!”


Music Instruction
 

 

Pennsylvania String Ensemble

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Ogontz Suzuki Institute Faculty Bio
 

 

YouTube highlight (Volaise by Rachmaninoff)
 

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