About

Chris Miertschin is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Bethel College in North Newton, KS. His duties include music direction of the Wind Ensemble and Thresher Sound Athletic Band, Brass Lessons, and teaching additional music and music education courses. He is a B.A.N.D. Artist with KHS America as an ambassador for the XO Brass 1650 Double Horn. Chris is also a member of the horn section for the Salina Symphony Orchestra and Wichita Wind Symphony, regularly performs in the pit orchestra of Theatre Salina, maintains a brass studio, and is an in-demand freelance horn and trombone player in central Kansas.

Previously, Chris served as Director of Athletic Bands at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas. His duties included directing the Athletic Band, coordinating recruitment, and teaching Brass Instrument Methods. From 2017-21, Chris was Director of Bands at Hutchinson Community College, conducting the Wind Symphony, String Orchestra, and Blue Dragon Pep Band. He completed his Master of Music Performance degree at the University of Georgia (UGA) in May 2017. At UGA, Chris performed with the British Brass Band under the direction of renowned trumpeter Phil Smith, studied conducting with Jackie Hartenberger, and horn with Jean Martin-Williams.  Chris' Bachelor's degree is in Music Education, which he earned from Kansas State University in 2015, where he studied horn under Jacqueline Fassler-Kerstetter and conducting under Frank Tracz and Don Linn. 

Chris' performance experience includes performing as a member of the Salina Symphony Orchestra and as a member of the Salina Community Theatre pit orchestra. He also performed in top-level university ensembles at the University of Georgia and Kansas State University, chamber ensembles, and participated in solo competitions. Chris has also served as assistant horn in the Gwinnett Symphony Wind Orchesta, substitute horn for the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra, and substitute horn for the Salina Symphony. As a founding member of the Wabash City Brass, Chris participated in master classes and performances with the Boston Brass; in addition, Chris performed in a master class with the Canadian Brass in his studies at UGA. As a soloist, Chris has performed 5 solo recitals, competed in the GMTA solo competition where he was invited to be the 2017 GMTA conference soloist as well as the MTNA solo competition earning honorable mention. Additionally, Chris is an accomplished arranger, his arrangements having been played by a variety of ensembles - The UGA Redcoat Marching Band, HutchCC Blue Dragon Pep Band, brass quintet, horn choir, brass ensemble, as well as Riley County HS in Riley, KS.