CHRIS LEVERENZ
Co-Director, Friends in Music
Teaching Artist, MusicWorks
Dr. Chris Leverenz is a string teacher and classically trained double bassist living in Lexington. He began his music studies in 6th grade on double bass and chose to pursue music earning his bachelors degree from Southern Illinois University, as well as Masters and Doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in double bass performance. Dr. Leverenz has lived around the country and in Germany performing with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Arts Festival, Southern Illinois Music Festival, Deutsche Philharmonie Merck, and the Heidelberger Kantanenorchestre.
He has been an active music educator teaching privately, working with youth orchestras, and as an adjunct faculty professor at Christopher Newport University. Two years ago he decided to make Lexington his home and went back to school at the University of Kentucky earning a bachelor's degree in music education. Dr. Leverenz is now an educator with the Fayette County Public Schools; teaching 4th and 5th grade elementary strings at four schools as well as the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra’s after-school community music programs MusicWorks and Friends in Music.
He continues to perform on double bass regionally with orchestras like the Cave Run Symphony, London Symphony and Lexington Philharmonic. Upon returning to college, Dr. Leverenz began studying violin and now enjoys teaching it privately and in group class settings. He also performs as a violinist with the New Horizons Orchestra here in Lexington.
Dr. Leverenz loves living in the heart of the bluegrass. When not being musical, he enjoys hiking in the Red River Gorge, strolling through Lexington’s Parks, biking around the horse farms, taking in a day at Keeneland, and cheering on the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field and Rupp Arena.