Chris McKhool
Encyclopedia
Chris McKhool, born November 18, 1968 in Ottawa
, Ontario
, is a Canadian violin
ist, guitarist
, composer
, producer
and singer-songwriter
. He has received numerous awards for his work, including a Juno Award
nomination for his 2008 children's album, Fiddlefire!
from 1977 to 1985, as well as performing with the National Capital String Academy and teaching himself to play folk guitar. In 1985 he moved to Montreal
to study at McGill University
, obtaining a B.A. in Psychology. McKhool moved to Toronto
in 1993, studying jazz at York University
.
McKhool has recorded and performed with several jazz performers and groups including Sultans of String
, Jesse Cook
, Amanda Martinez, Pavlo, Club Django, Kevin Laliberte, Drew Birston, Kevin Barrett
, Jordan Klapman, Ron Davis
, Doug Banwell, Adam David and George Grosman.
He has also enjoyed a successful career performing for young audiences, appearing on television shows such as Mr. Dressup
, YTV's Treehouse
, TVOntario
's Crawlspace
and the CBC
, as well as concerts across Canada. His 2008 children's album Fiddlefire! was nominated for a Juno Award
.
Chris Mckhool has toured throughout Canada, including Baffin Island
, as well as performing in England, the United States, Indonesia, Cuba, Guatemala, Peru and Tibetan schools across the Indian Himalayas. FiddleFire! has been presented live at Toronto Harbourfront's Cushion Concert series. He also headlined Toronto's First Night at the Skydome. the National Guatemalan Network show Que Onda produced a special feature including live concert footage from August 2004.
Chris McKhool has worked with notable recording engineers including Jeremy Darby (Live Aid, U2, Pink Floyd, Prince), George Seara (Jesse Cook, Michael Jackson, Sting) and Nik Tjelios (Ken Whiteley, Pete Seeger)
In 2004 Chris co-founded the world-jazz-flamenco group Sultans of String
.
Chris created the world’s largest bicycle bell orchestra in 2008, at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto with over 800 bell ringers.
For a list of awards with Sultans of String
, see main article: Sultans of String
Other awards:
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, is a Canadian violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. He has received numerous awards for his work, including a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
nomination for his 2008 children's album, Fiddlefire!
Background
Raised in a musical household, McKhool took violin lessons from age 7, and studied classical violin under the tutelage of Joan Milkson of the National Arts Centre OrchestraNational Arts Centre Orchestra
The National Arts Centre Orchestra is an orchestra in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital. It is a classically-sized ensemble currently conducted by Pinchas Zukerman.-Description:Since 1998, Pinchas Zukerman has been the Music Director. Mario Bernardi C.C...
from 1977 to 1985, as well as performing with the National Capital String Academy and teaching himself to play folk guitar. In 1985 he moved to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to study at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, obtaining a B.A. in Psychology. McKhool moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1993, studying jazz at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
.
McKhool has recorded and performed with several jazz performers and groups including Sultans of String
Sultans of String
Sultans of String are an instrumental music group based in Toronto, Ontario, combining elements of Spanish flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythms, and French Manouche Gypsy-jazz...
, Jesse Cook
Jesse Cook
Jesse Cook is a Toronto-based guitarist, born in Paris to Canadian parents. Like other guitarists of his style of music, he incorporates funky jazz, latin & world music into his playing. Cook is also well known for the energy of his live shows. He has contributed to the Afro Celt Sound System album...
, Amanda Martinez, Pavlo, Club Django, Kevin Laliberte, Drew Birston, Kevin Barrett
Kevin Barrett
Kevin James Barrett is a former university lecturer, Muslim convert. He is a member of the Scientific Panel for the Investigation of 9/11 , and is a founding member of the Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance , established October 30, 2004 with the stated aim of improving "interfaith dialogue,...
, Jordan Klapman, Ron Davis
Ron Davis
Ronald Gene "Ron" Davis is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played 11 years from 1978 to 1988. Davis played for the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins of the American League and the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants of the National League...
, Doug Banwell, Adam David and George Grosman.
He has also enjoyed a successful career performing for young audiences, appearing on television shows such as Mr. Dressup
Mr. Dressup
Mr. Dressup is a Canadian children's television series produced by CBC Television that ran from 1967 to 1996.The series starred Ernie Coombs as Mr. Dressup. The show aired every weekday morning, and each day Mr...
, YTV's Treehouse
Treehouse
A treehouse, tree house, or treefort is a habitable structure built in trees. "Treehouse" may also refer to:*Tree House, Crawley, a listed 14th-century building in Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom; originally the manor house....
, TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
's Crawlspace
Crawlspace
Crawlspace may refer to:* Crawl space, a type of basement in which one cannot stand up* Crawlspace , a 1986 horror/thriller film starring Klaus Kinski* Crawlspace , a 2004 animated short film by Peter Sved...
and the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, as well as concerts across Canada. His 2008 children's album Fiddlefire! was nominated for a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
.
Chris Mckhool has toured throughout Canada, including Baffin Island
Baffin Island
Baffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...
, as well as performing in England, the United States, Indonesia, Cuba, Guatemala, Peru and Tibetan schools across the Indian Himalayas. FiddleFire! has been presented live at Toronto Harbourfront's Cushion Concert series. He also headlined Toronto's First Night at the Skydome. the National Guatemalan Network show Que Onda produced a special feature including live concert footage from August 2004.
Chris McKhool has worked with notable recording engineers including Jeremy Darby (Live Aid, U2, Pink Floyd, Prince), George Seara (Jesse Cook, Michael Jackson, Sting) and Nik Tjelios (Ken Whiteley, Pete Seeger)
In 2004 Chris co-founded the world-jazz-flamenco group Sultans of String
Sultans of String
Sultans of String are an instrumental music group based in Toronto, Ontario, combining elements of Spanish flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythms, and French Manouche Gypsy-jazz...
.
Chris created the world’s largest bicycle bell orchestra in 2008, at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto with over 800 bell ringers.
Discography
- Chris McKhool: Earth, Sea and Air (1996)
- Chris McKhool: Turtle Island! (1999)
- Chris McKhool: Celebrate! Holidays of the Global Village (2005)
- Sultans of String: Luna (2007)
- Chris McKhool: Fiddlefire! (2008)
- Sultans of String: Yalla Yalla (2009)
- Sultans of String: MOVE (September 1, 2011)
Awards and Nominations
Chris McKhool's 2008 children's album Fiddlefire! has been nominated for numerous awards, including:- 2009 JUNO AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
nominee with Fiddlefire! - 2009 Canadian Folk Music AwardsCanadian Folk Music AwardsThe Canadian Folk Music Awards are an annual music awards ceremony, presenting awards in a variety of categories for achievements in both traditional and contemporary folk music, and other roots music genres, by Canadian musicians...
- Children's Album of the Year with Fiddlefire! - 2009 Parents’ Choice Award with Fiddlefire!
- 2009 iParenting Media Award with Fiddlefire!
- 2009 Canadian Children’s Book Centre ‘Best of 2009’ with Fiddlefire!
For a list of awards with Sultans of String
Sultans of String
Sultans of String are an instrumental music group based in Toronto, Ontario, combining elements of Spanish flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythms, and French Manouche Gypsy-jazz...
, see main article: Sultans of String
Sultans of String
Sultans of String are an instrumental music group based in Toronto, Ontario, combining elements of Spanish flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythms, and French Manouche Gypsy-jazz...
Other awards:
- 2006 Ontario Council of Folk Festivals - Songs of the Heart Competition Finalist
- 2006 Parents’ Choice Award for CD Celebrate! Holidays of the Global Village
- 2005 Green Toronto Award of Excellence for Earth, Seas & Air Children’s Concert
- 2004 National Jazz Awards nomination (with Club Django, Trad. Jazz)
- 2004 CIUT-FM Award for Outstanding Musical Accompanist (violin)
- 1996 Parents’ Choice Award for CD Earth, Seas & Air
External links
- http://www.fiddlefire.com
- http://www.sultansofstring.com
- http://www.myspace.com/chrismckhool