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Faculty Member

Dr. Chris Ramos

Biography

Chris Ramos is currently serving as Director of Bands at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He conducts the UVU Wind Symphony and directs instrumental studies within the music education area. Prior to working in higher education, Chris served as a high school and middle school band director at Dalat International School in Penang, Malaysia. He is also an active scholar working at the intersection of wind band studies, disability theory, and music education. He holds degrees from The Hartt School where he studied with Glen Adsit and Edward Cumming, the University of New Mexico where he studied with Eric Rombach-Kendall, and from East Texas A&M University where he studied with Phillip Clements, Luis Sanchez, and Mike Morrow. An avid supporter of new music, he has been part of several commissioning projects and has recorded with the Naxos, Parma, and Summit record labels. He is an active member in the College Band Directors National Association, Utah Music Educators Association, American Musicological Society, and National Association for Music Education.

Education

DMA, The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, 2023

Major: Instrumental Conducting

MM, University of New Mexico, 2016

Major: Wind Conducting

BM, Texas A&M University-Commerc, 2014

Major: Piano Performance

BS, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2014

Major: Music Education

Teaching

MUSC 4900R

Advanced Independent Study, Spring 2026

MUSC 4900R

Advanced Independent Study, Spring 2026

MUSC 4370

Advanced Instrumental Literature and Methods, Spring 2026

MUSC 3730R

Advanced Small Ensembles, Spring 2026

MUSC 3730R

Advanced Small Ensembles, Spring 2026

MUSC 3679

Brass Techniques I, Spring 2026

MUSC 4780

Pre-Service Student Teaching, Spring 2026

MUSC 2500R

Private Lessons for Music Majors, Spring 2026

MUSC 4785

Student Teaching Seminar, Spring 2026

MUSC 1250R

University Band, Spring 2026

MUSC 3300R

Wind Symphony, Spring 2026

Presentations

Ramos, Chris , Utah Music Educators Association Conference, "Flick, Dab, Slash, Punch! Immediate Vocabulary for Expressive Conducting at Any Grade Level", Utah Music Educators Association, St. George, UT. (February, 2026)
Ramos, Chris , College Band Directors National Association National Conference, "Ways of Resonance_ The Sound of Friendship Through Indeterminacy in Large Ensemble Contexts", Colleage Band Directors National Association, Texas Christian University. (March, 2025)
Ramos, Chris (Leader), Minnix, James (Leader), Hartt Summerterm Professional Development Workshop, "Hartt Summerterm Conducting Workshop", University of Hartford, Hartford, CT. (July, 2024)
Ramos, Chris (Presenter & Author), MED 304_ Secondary Instrumental Methods, "Extraordinary Ensembles_ Imperative Strategies for Inclusive Teaching in Large Ensemble Contexts", The Hartt School, West Hartford, CT (Remote). (April 9, 2024)
Ramos, Chris , College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Western/Northwestern Conference, "Splintered Hearing_ An Analysis of Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments in Resonance with Disability", College Band Directors National Association, Las Vegas, NV. (March, 2024)
Ramos, Chris , College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) National Conference, "Extraordinary Resonances_ Navigating the Intersection of Disability Theory and Wind Band Repertoire". (February, 2023)

Scholarly/Creative Works

Ramos, Chris , (2025) "Ways of Resonance_ Sonic Hospitality, Universal Design for Learning, and the Sound of Friendship in Lauren Coons's Sonic Pathways" (Issue: 5, vol. 111). Herndon, VA: National Association for Music Education.
Ramos, Chris , (2025) "Latin Fire_ Central Connecticut State University Marching Band Show, Fall 2025" . Self Published.
Ramos, Chris , (2025) "Staff Band Concert" . Twin Lakes, MI: Blue Lake Public Radio.
Ramos, Chris , (2025) "Seeing the Forest and the Trees_ Balancing Comprehensive Musicianship with Performance Preparation" (Issue: 3, vol. 70). Utah Music Educators Association.
Ramos, Chris , "Chamber Works of Jessica Rudman" . Northampton, NH: PARMA Recordings.
Ramos, Chris , (2024) "Plyve Kacha Po Tysyni" .

Awards

Harry Begian Conductor Scholar Award

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp - October 3, 2024

Two-year award offered to one of the band ensemble conductors from the summer season. Besides being a recognition of achievement it also offers the opportunity for future performances with the Staff and Festival Bands.

Honorable Mention in The American Prize in Conducting (band/wind ensemble division)

The American Prize - September 24, 2024

(from the organization)

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings. Now in its fourteenth year, The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts. Thousands of artists from all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing literally hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation. Information about the 2024-25 season of contests is now available and applications are being accepted, with extensions available by email request. (http://theamericanprize.org)

Music Theory Award

University of Hartford - May, 2023

Graduate Travel Grant

University of Hartford - April, 2023

Regents’ Honor Award

University of Hartford - April, 2023

COHEAO Education Scholarship

COHEAO - August, 2022