Ellenwood, Christian

Education

B.M. Eastman School of Music; M.M. Indiana University; D.M.A. University of North Carolina at Greensboro  

Biography

Christian Ellenwood, Professor of Clarinet, is a passionate recitalist, chamber musician, orchestral clarinetist, and composer. Dr. Ellenwood has collaborated with artists such as LA Phil principal cellist Robert DeMaine, violinist Mark Peskanov, pianist Christopher Taylor, the Grammy Award-winning Ying Quartet, and the Telluride Chamber Music Festival. He is principal clarinetist with the Skylight Opera of Milwaukee, the Woodstock Mozart Festival, and Bel Canto of Milwaukee, and has performed frequently with the Milwaukee Ballet, Madison Symphony Orchestra, and the Madison Opera. His clarinet playing can be heard on the Albany Records release, Music of Chris Theofanidis, and on CD projects produced by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he has served as Professor of Clarinet since 1996.

Dr. Ellenwood has composed many works for clarinet, as well as works for chamber ensembles, choir, wind ensemble, and strings. His compositions have been performed worldwide at prestigious festivals and concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, the World Saxophone Congress, National Flute Association, ClarinetFest, and the Chamber Music National Festival/Music for All. Recent commissions include a new quintet for clarinet and strings, commissioned by Vandoren for the winner of the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition, and a work to be premiered in 2020, commissioned by the Willa Cather Archive and Nebraska Chamber Players. His compositions have also been broadcast over several classical networks, including Chicago's WFMT, the Wisconsin and Nebraska Public Radio networks, and WXXI in western New York.

Dr. Ellenwood is committed to the musical and intellectual growth of his students, and the quality of his teaching has earned significant recognition from his students and colleagues, including the W. P. Roseman Award, UW-Whitewater’s highest honor for excellence in teaching, as well as multiple inclusions in Who's Who Among America's Teachers. Dr. Ellenwood has also received UW-Whitewater’s Outstanding Research Award and the University Faculty/Staff Academic Advising Award. He has held teaching positions at the University of North Carolina–Greensboro, Rocky Ridge Music Center, and New England Music Camp.

He holds degrees from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Indiana University, where he was an I.U. Fellowship recipient, and the Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded Edith Babcock and George Eastman scholarships. Major teachers and pedagogical influences include Kelly Burke, Eli Eban, and Peter Hadcock.

Classes Taught

Studio Clarinet, Music Theory, Clarinet Techniques, Clarinet Ensemble