Bio

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Chris Rosser is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer and producer. As a solo singer-songwriter, he tours nationally playing at festivals, clubs and listening rooms. As a member of the world-jazz instrumental trio Free Planet Radio, he plays a variety of instruments, including the Indian dotar, Turkish cumbus oud, guitars, melodica and piano. As a producer, he has produced about forty recordings for various artists in his Asheville, NC based studio Hollow Reed Studio.

Chris has released three solo recordings: Hidden Everywhere(2006), The Holy Fool (2000) and Archaeology (1998), a trio recording with Free Planet Radio New Bedouin Dance (2004), and an earlier duo recording with his wife Lynn, Face The East (1995).

He has won songwriting contests at the Rocky Mountain Folks and Merle Watson festivals, been selected as a New Folk Finalist and appeared on the mainstage at the Kerrville Folk Festival and showcased twice at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. With the help of a 1999 WNC Regional Artists grant, he continued his studies of Hindustani classical music and the sarod (a 25-string fretless Indian lute) with world famous Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan in San Rafael, CA. He was awarded a 2003 Songwriter/Composer fellowship from the NC Arts Council.

In 1997, Chris' debut solo recording Archaeology won the favor of fans, critics and radio stations alike, landing in the Top 30 of The Gavin Report and Crossroads charts. It was also selected as one of the top independent albums of the year by Christine Lavin, the Internet FolkVote '97, The Performing Songwriter and more. He has since shared stages with folk and pop luminaries such as Nickel Creek, John Mayer, Shawn Mullins, John Gorka, David Wilcox, Tom Rush and more, and had his songs recorded by Tom Prasada-Rao (Christmas in the Ashram) and Blueground Undergrass (Archaeology).

Growing up in the tiny town of Casar, NC (pop.350), Rosser's musical journey began with classical piano lessons from his mother and a fascination with the large record collection of his parents. Raised in a Baha'i family, he was exposed at a young age to a diversity of cultures, and many musical seeds were planted. Rosser was particularly attracted to the haunting music and chanting of the Iranian Baha'is at religious gatherings. In high school, he played French horn in the orchestra, piano in the jazz band, and electric bass in numerous garage bands, while secretly beginning to write songs of his own. A fondness for the music of Bruce Hornsby, Jaco Pastorius and Pat Metheny (and a full scholarship) led him to the prestigious University of Miami School of Music where he studied jazz piano and studio recording.

During his last year in Miami, he taught himself to play acoustic guitar and began to seriously focus on songwriting after discovering the music of contemporary folk musicians like Shawn Colvin, Nanci Griffith, David Wilcox and Patty Larkin. Simultaneously, he also began his study of Indian music by taking classes on the tabla drums. In 1995, after two years of working as a recording engineer in a Charlotte, NC recording studio, Rosser left his 401k and health plan behind, moving to the mountains of Asheville to pursue performing full-time.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Released third solo album Hidden Everywhere (2006)
• Began touring as keyboardist for master Turkish musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek (2005)
• Released a world-jazz instrumental CD New Bedouin Dance with trio Free Planet Radio (2004)
• Received a Songwriter/Composer Fellowship from the NC Arts Council (2003)
• Wins Rocky Mountain Folk Festival Troubadour contest (2000)
• Selected as Falcon Ridge Folk Festival showcase artist (2000 & 1997)
• Releases second solo album on ISG Records The Holy Fool (2000)
• Receives Western NC Arts grant to continue Hindustani classical music studies with Ali Akbar Khan (1999)
• Christine Lavin recommends Archaeology as one of her Top 10 albums of 1998 on her website (1998)
• "Faraway Train" included on The Performing Songwriter's "Editor's Choice of Top 12 DIYs" Compilation CD Vol.4.(1998)
• Archaeology voted a Top 20 release in the internet FolkVote '97 as well as a "New Discovery of 1997"
• Archaeology selected in Mountain Xpress readers' poll as Best Western NC release of 1997
• Archaeology reaches the Top 30 on both Crossroads and The Gavin Report Americana national radio charts (1997)
• Releases debut solo album on ISG Records, Archaeology (1997)
• New Folk finalist at Kerrville Folk Festival (1996)
• Troubadour finalist at Telluride Bluegrass Festival (1995 & 1996)
• Song "The Living in Me" selected for EcoMusic's environmental recording, Road To Paradise (1996)
• First place in the Chris Austin Songwriting contest at the Merle Watson Festival (1995)
• Releases Face The East, duo album with wife, Lynn, on Hollow Reed Arts (1995)
• First place award in Mid-Atlantic Songwriting contest for "Rest Your Weary Wings"(1994)

SELECTED VENUES

• The Grey Eagle, Asheville,NC
• Uncle Calvin's, Dallas, TX
• Eddie's Attic, Decatur, GA
• Prism Coffeehouse, Charlottesville, VA
• Acoustic Sounds, Little Rock, AR
• Club Passim, Cambridge, MA
• European Street, Jacksonville, FL
• So.Utah Acoustic Concerts, St.George, UT
• Fiddle & Bow, Winston-Salem, NC
• WUWF Radio Live, Pensacola, FL
• Avalon Theater, Easton, MD
• Godfrey Daniels, Bethleham, PA
• The Handlebar, Greenville, SC
• Coffee Underground, Greenville, SC
• The Listening Room, Montgomery, AL
• Sundilla Concerts, Auburn, AL
• Moonlight Music Cafe, Montgomery AL
• Acoustic Muse, Charlottesville, VA
• Radio Cafe, Nashville, TN
• Reston-Herndon Folk Club, Reston, VA
• Fiddler's Green, Atlanta, GA
• Steeple Coffeehouse, Southboro, MA
• Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, TN
• Gravity Lounge, Charlottesville, VA
• Second Story Coffeehouse, Denton, MD
• 333 Coffeehouse, Annapolis, MD
• May's Chapel, Timonium, MD
• Jammin' Java, Vienna, VA
• Evening Star, Sautee-Nacoochee, GA
• Live Oak Coffeehouse, Austin, TX
• Great Aunt Stella Center, Charlotte, NC
• Madison's, Seattle, WA
• The Evening Muse, Charlotte, NC
• Folkal Point, Columbia, MD
• Six String Cafe, Cary, NC

SELECTED FESTIVALS

• Kerrville Folk Fest, TX
• Rocky Mountain Folk Fest, CO
• Falcon Ridge Folk Fest, NY (showcases)
• Bele Chere, NC
• Wildflower Festival, TX
• Black Mountain Festival, NC
• Solstice Festival, CA
• Lake Eden Arts Festival, NC
• American Music Festival, FL
• Cottonwood Festival, TX
• Rumi Festival, NC
• Electric City Folk Festival, SC
• Flat Rock Music Festival, NC
• CentreFest, NC
• Three River Festival, SC

OPENED FOR

• John Gorka
• Pierce Pettis
• Lucy Kaplansky
• Eric Anderson
• Shawn Mullins
• Vance Gilbert
• Ellis Paul
• Chuck Brodsky
• Bob Franke
• Fred Eaglesmith
• Tom Prasada-Rao
• Bill Mize
• Nickel Creek
• Tom Rush
• David Wilcox
• John Mayer