Chris Sies
About Chris
Chris Sies seeks to bring visceral sonic experiences to audiences through his “virtuoso flair” (Detroit Free Press) and unique voice. Sies 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, and many others. He has performed extensively throughout North America at venues including the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, (le) poisson rouge, and Princeton University, along with performances on the Vans Warped Tour, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, and the Bowling Green New Music Festival.
Sies 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. Sies 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. Sies 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 by altered states of consciousness.
A passionate educator, Sies has instructed 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.
Sies 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.
Sies is currently a doctoral fellow at the University of Michigan where he runs the Modern Percussion Lab—an environment dedicated to fostering the creative spirit of performer-composers through collaboration and the formation of original work.