Newly appointed Principal Tuba of the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera, Christopher Olka has had a wide and varied career in music. His orchestral experience includes substitute tuba with the New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, and New Jersey Symphony as well as principal positions with the New Jersey Pops, American Repertory Ballet, Aspen Festival, and Garden State Philharmonic orchestras.

Before moving to New York, Chris was a staff musician from 1989 to 1996 for the Walt Disney World Company in Orlando, Florida, where he was a member of many bands including the TUBAFOURS tuba quartet, the world’s only full time tuba quartet.

His education includes a B.M. from the University of Central Florida, and an M.M. from the Juilliard School. During his undergraduate studies, Chris was the winner of the Music Teacher’s National Association Collegiate Artist Brass Solo Competition in 1996 as well as winning the Southern Regional MTNA Solo Competition twice and the Florida MTNA Solo Competition three times. He was guest tuba artist for HPNWBBb in 1999.

Chris’s teachers include: Warren Deck (New York Philharmonic) Joe Alessi (New York Philharmonic) and Abe Torchinsky (Philadelphia Orchestra, Retired).

E-mail: cheers23@aol.com