Chris Muller (Nijmegen, 1998) is a Dutch pianist, composer, and arranger. As a jazz musician with a passion for orchestral music, Chris has shared the stage with many leading musicians from the Dutch jazz scene and often takes part of various orchestras, including the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, the Paradox Jazz Orchestra, and his own ensemble: the Chris Muller Bigband.
As a bandleader, pianist, arranger, and conductor, Chris leads the Chris Muller Bigband, which was founded in 2021 and is one of the youngest professional big bands in the scene. The band has performed at multiple venues and festivals and recorded its debut album, Turning Thoughts, at Wisseloord Studios in the spring of 2023. This album was presented in June 2024 at the BIMHUIS in Amsterdam, featuring several guest soloists, including Jasper Blom.
As a composer/arranger, Chris has had the opportunity to work with numerous big bands and orchestras, including the Metropole Orkest and the Royal Netherlands Air Force Orchestra. Additionally, Chris has collaborated with international soloists such as Randy Brecker, Dick Oatts, and Bill Laurance. In 2024, Chris won the first edition of the ‘Conservatorium Talent Award – Ruud Bos Challenge’, a national arranging competition.
At a young age, he immersed himself in classical piano music, and after several years, he transitioned to light music. At the age of 20, Chris obtained his bachelor’s degree from the Eindhoven University of Technology and then decided to pursue his passion for music at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. There, he completed a double major in Jazz Piano and Arranging, both of which he graduated cum laude in June 2023.
Since then, Chris has been actively involved as a (guest) conductor and educator with orchestras and educational projects throughout the Netherlands, such as at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and at the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw as artistic leader of the Jong JOC education project.
