Chris was raised in Te Whanganui-a-tara (Wellington) and completed a Bachelor of Music (Composition) at Waikato University. Just before obtaining his Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary), Chris co-founded Aotearoa New Zealand’s first professional touring musical supergroup for children, The Funky Monkeys in 2003.

While he took a break from teaching to perform full-time, his ensemble released four albums - one in collaboration with Plunket NZ - and performed to over 1.7 million people at live concerts. Their music videos were also played every morning on TV for more than a decade.

Chris has since become one of the nation’s leading musical entertainers and educators for young audiences. He has performed both independent and commissioned shows in over one-thousand NZ schools and early childhood centres.

In 2017, Chris flew to the UK to release his first children’s picture book with London’s TATE museum. His book, Inspector Brunswick: Case of the Missing Eyebrow won the Storylines Notable Book Award alongside Dame Lynley Dodd, and Dame Joy Cowley ONZ the following year

Three years later, Chris released his first independent symphonic-music-inspired album of children’s songs that went on to become a finalist for the ‘Best Children’s Music Artist’ Tūi award. In 2022 he won NZ On Air’s ‘Best Children’s Music Video’ award for his ‘Song About Nothing’.

As a firm believer in the positive well-being outcomes that improved access to the arts can provide disadvantaged children, Chris co-founded and chaired two music-based charitable trusts that continue to fund free musical performances, lessons, and instruments for young families nationwide. 

In 2023, Chris became the first full-time Music Education Animateur for the NZSO after having presented thirty-nine children’s concerts for the orchestra since 2016. Chris is passionate about his role of inspiring students, teachers, and diverse audiences to maintain life-long connections with symphonic music and the NZSO.