Chris Santillán

Chris is a music director with experience working in Canada, the United States and at sea. His professional career in theatre began at twenty-three when he served as the associate music director for the North American tour of Mamma Mia! Chris has collaborated with several Canadian theatre companies, including 9th Hour Theatre Company, Sock ‘n Buskin’ and the Orpheus Musical Theatre Society. Most recently, Chris worked as a conductor and vocal supervisor for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, based in Miami, where he conducted productions of We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia! and Grease and supervised signature production shows.

In addition to his professional experience, Chris is a passionate educator. He has developed and taught music programs for children, teens, and adults in Canada and the U.S. He is the co-founder of the Carleton Musical Theatre Society at Carleton University, which offers performing and production opportunities for students and community members in Canada’s capital region. Chris was also the founding choir director for the Spirit of the Streets Choir, a unique music program for at-risk and street-involved youth in Ottawa.

Chris received a Bachelor of Music (BMus) degree in piano performance from Carleton University and a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in music and music education from Columbia University in New York City. In addition to his formal training, Chris has learned from some of Broadway’s most well-respected music directors, including Joseph Church and Alex Lacamoire.