Dr. Kris Monson is a versatile musician and double bassist in New York City. Kris has had the honor of working with many of the top musicians in the international jazz, contemporary, and new music scenes, including Marc Cary, Tyshawn Sorey, Vince Mendoza, Veronica Swift, Charles Owens, and Ari Hoenig, and on stages including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Opera America, the Panama Jazz Festival, Providencia Jazz Festival in Santiago Chile, Smalls Jazz Club, and Blues Alley.
photo: Katie Simbala
Current and recent projects include:
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New album by the Kris Monson Quartet, Option to Extend
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Kris Monson's Suite for Charlottesville, a suite of original music written for jazz septet
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Upcoming performances with Dr. Jorge Variego's "Imaginary Folklore," a clarinet-bandoneon-double bass trio that celebrates new music by Rioplatense composers
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Extensive touring and performing as a sideman with
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Marc Cary
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Charles Owens
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Joshua Espinoza
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Ryan Sands
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Veronica Swift
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Matt Baker
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A passionate music educator, Dr. Monson teaches jazz, composition, and music theory courses at the Manhattan School of Music summer program, music fundamentals at George Mason University, and has served as a graduate teaching fellow at New England Conservatory for various courses in the jazz and music theory departments. He has also given master classes at schools around the country and maintains a select studio of private students. As a researcher, Dr. Monson has presented at national and international conferences for the College Music Society, the Jazz Education Network, and the International Society of Bassists.
A graduate of the New England Conservatory (DMA), the Manhattan School of Music (MM), and the University of Virginia (BS in Systems Engineering and Music), Monson has studied with jazz legends Buster Williams, Dave Holland, and John D'earth, as well as renowned classical bassists Don Palma (Orpheus Chamber Orchestra), Orin O'Brien, and David Grossman (both of the New York Philharmonic).