Alumni Spotlight: Chris DeChiara ’99 MM
Percussionist Chris DeChiara, a native of Burlington, Massachusetts, honed his craft at an early
age, recording and playing the club circuit around Boston and New England before channeling
his lifelong love of music into academic and professional pursuits. DeChiara studied percussion
performance at the undergraduate and graduate levels under the tutelage of Will Hudgins
(Boston Symphony Orchestra), Jeff Fischer (UMASS Lowell, Boston Ballet), and Fred Buda (ret.
Boston Pops). Amidst his studies, DeChiara performed nationally and internationally, participating in the Rome Festival Orchestra in Italy, the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, the
Spoleto Music Festival in South Carolina, and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival in Germany. In 1999, he was the Principal Percussionist of the United World Philharmonic in Bonn, Germany.
He has performed under the batons of many acclaimed directors such as Sergiu Comissiona,
Lawrence Foster, Christoph Eschenbach, Mstislav Rostropovich, Julius Rudel, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, James Conlon, and Keith Lockhart.
DeChiara joined the U.S. Navy Band, Washington D.C. in 2001 and retired in 2022. He toured with the Concert Band as percussionist/timpanist and xylophone soloist. As a member of the Navy Band
Ceremonial Unit—performing music at official military, government, full honor funerals at
Arlington National Cemetery, and other special events—DeChiara has had the honor of
accompanying the ensemble at three presidential inaugurations and the funeral of former
President Ronald Reagan; he was also featured as a drumset soloist at the 2012 Virginia
International Tattoo.
Over the course of his career, DeChiara has appeared with and continues to play with a number
of ensembles, including the Annapolis Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Boston Ballet, Boston Lyric Opera, and Boston Modern Orchestra Project. He is currently Principal Percussionist/Asst. Timpanist with the Alexandria Symphony and was Principal Percussionist of the Wammie-award-winning, Great Noise Ensemble, from 2005-2015.
DeChiara has had the distinction of playing some of the most well-known venues in the world,
among them Symphony Hall and Fenway Park in Boston; Carnegie Hall in New York City; the
Kennedy Center and Verizon Center in Washington, DC; and the Royal Concertgebouw in
Amsterdam, Netherlands. As a regular performer in the DC theater circuit, DeChiara has shared
the stage with renowned artists—among them Broadway Tony award winner Jason Robert
Brown, original RENT actor Adam Pascal, and NBC star Wesley Taylor.
As a lifelong student of music himself, DeChiara conveys his passion for the arts by mentoring
the next generation of musicians, teaching masterclasses, clinics, private lessons, percussion
ensembles, drumlines, front ensembles, and coaching orchestra and concert band percussion
sections in schools in the Washington metropolitan region. He is the Adjunct
Professor of Percussion at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. where he
teaches lessons and coaches the symphony orchestra.
Why did you choose NEC?
Since I am from Boston, I knew I wanted to stay local for college and my career. NEC was the perfect place for me to study and begin building my resume and network.
What have you been up to since graduating from NEC? What projects have you been working on? Do you have any goals you are looking to accomplish?
I retired from the U.S. Navy Band after 21 years after winning the job in 2001. I'm now Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Catholic University and was also appointed Principal Percussion/Asst. Timpanist with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra. I play in 4 bands including top 40 (Dr.FU), hair metal (Herr Metal), Iron Maiden tribute (Eyes of the Nile), and sing lead vocals in a Beatles acoustic tribute (Nowhere Men). I record and perform with some original acts as well and freelance with other orchestras, theater, church, and new music groups. During the pandemic, I wrote and published my first book, The Rite of Spring-A Percussionist's Guide, which explains everything you need to know about the percussion, timpani parts, and history of this legendary piece of music. I also built a drumming course on the Single Stroke Roll, two free PDFs - 13 Strategies in Becoming a Successful Musician and Measured Rolls 5-17, and a complete transcription of the drum parts to Dream Theater's Images and Words album available on drumsheetmusic.com. I also appeared on two Blurays featuring music written for silent film and recordings for hard rock/progressive rock bands Shumaun, Iris Divine, Sorrow and the Spire, and Animal Ion.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at NEC?
One of my favorite memories from NEC was Frank Battisti's Wind Ensemble. I also enjoyed John Heiss's Ives, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky class. Attending Boston Symphony concerts was always a joy of mine as well.
Share a story about one of your favorite faculty or studio instructors.
One of my favorite stories is when John Heiss would talk about Stravinsky and how Stravinsky referred to him as the "Pitch Doctor."
How have your NEC experiences shaped your artistic approach?
My time at NEC strongly shaped my work ethic. I thought it was good to begin with,
but when I got to NEC, the level of playing was at such a high caliber, it gave me something to
strive for.
Share any other stories about what has inspired you at NEC and beyond.
While at NEC, I noticed the Wind Ensemble was playing a percussion concerto. Although I wasn’t in the ensemble, I asked Bill Drury if he happened to need one more player. He gave me the principal role where I had to interact with the soloist. This led to a friendship (and lots of gigs) with him that I still have to this day. This instilled in me to always ask for opportunities as you never know what the result could be. Create your own opportunities!
Do you have any advice for young musicians/current NEC students?
Be as versatile as possible. Be business savvy. Be all over social media but don't rely on it for your success. The harder you work, the luckier you will get. Network, be yourself, be early.
Learn More About Chris:
Current Job: Principal Percussionist/Asst Timpanist of the Alexandria Symphony; Adjunct Professor of Percussion at Catholic University
Major: Percussion Performance
Degree: Master of Music
Class Year: 1999
Instrument: Percussion
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