chris errera bio
For years, Chris has won the hearts of audiences with his deeply personal musical stylings and his very engaging, funny, and thought-provoking personality.
Chris pursues a broader mission when he performs—he clearly speaks of hope, courage, and determination. “After they enjoy the music, I want them to return to their lives and face their fears, surmount their challenges, keep dreaming big and then, reach heights that may have seemed impossible. I know, because I have been in that place, and I know that the dream can become real.”
His musical talents have earned him praise around the world. Chris toured Australia for the 2000 Summer Olympics and in 2013 performed at the White House for President Obama. He has been an honored speaker at the Air Force Academy and has dined with generals and American heroes such as Chuck Yaeger. He as appeared on numerous television shows, and was featured nationwide on the Rosie O'Donnell Show.
Chris was born to be a musician. He began playing the piano at age four, learning by Suzuki method, and took to it instantly. His teacher, the acclaimed American Suzuki method pioneer Julian Leviton, worked with him until he reached the age of sixteen. He then began his study of performance and composition with Grammy nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Ian Winstin. Errera considers Leviton and Winstin to be major influences in his music and in life—he deeply values the steady encouragement he received from them over the years.
He took his talent and creativity to a new level in college, where he earned music performance scholarships at Northern Illinois University, with its renowned jazz program, and then at DePaul University in music composition and production.
After college, Errera devoted the next few years performing in several bands, building his network of musical peers, and developing his compositional, arranging and production skills. When he was twenty-one, he performed in Germany as a member of the Schaumburg Symphony Orchestra. Over the years, he has built a strong career and reputation in the music business, not only as a concert performer and composer but also as a sought-after arranger and producer, teacher, and motivational speaker.
In the Midwest, he has performed at the Prairie Center for the Arts, the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards, the East Lansing Independent Film Festival, the Illinois Governor’s Awards Ball, the Milwaukee Partners in Philanthropy Awards, and at numerous other events.