Dr. Christopher J. Vivio, a Yamaha Performing Artist, is the Associate Professor of Low Brass at MSU Texas. His teaching includes applied low brass, American Popular Music, music technology, and brass methods. He previously held positions at Belmont University, Tennessee State University, and Austin Peay State University. Dr. Vivio holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Illinois State University, a Master of Music from Penn State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Memphis. His primary teachers include David Zerkel, Mike Forbes, and Velvet Brown.
Dr. Vivio is an active international soloist, clinician, and adjudicator. He frequently performs and presents at conferences, including the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference (ITEC), the Asociación Española de Tubas y Bombardinos (AETYB) Festival, the US Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Workshop, and numerous regional conferences. His research includes his dissertation on Paris Conservatoire solo literature and his lecture recital, "Synesthesia: An Interactive Sensory Musical Experience". Dr. Vivio serves the International Tuba and Euphonium Association (ITEA) on its Conference Coordinating Board, Competitions Coordination Committee, and as a programs editor for the *ITEA Journal*.
As an orchestral musician, Dr. Vivio is Principal Tuba with the Wichita Falls Symphony and the San Angelo Symphony. He also substitutes with the Irving Symphony. He was previously Principal Tuba of the Altoona Symphony and has performed with the Memphis and Prague Symphonies. An active chamber musician, his experience includes the Wichita Falls Symphony Jazz ensemble and the Belmont Brass Quintet.
