Biography

Praised for a “smooth tone and melodic flexibility” by Melinda Bargreen of The Seattle Times, Dr. Chris Dickey (they/them) is Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Washington State University. In the summers they are on the faculty of the Red Lodge Music Festival. They have appeared as an invited performer around the United States, Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Vietnam, and China. They are principal tuba of the Washington-Idaho Symphony in addition to performances with the Yakima, Walla Walla, Mid-Columbia, Spokane, and Missoula Symphonies. Dr. Dickey is a founding member of the In Motus Tuba Quartet, the Anonim Trio, and the Crimson Brass Trio. As a Miraphone Performing Artist, each year Dr. Dickey travels to play guest artist recitals and teach master classes at university and high school music programs.



To date, Dr. Dickey has released five solo recordings: Just a Thought (2015), Dulcet Voice (2017), Inventions (2019), Panorama (2021), and Crossroads (2023). The International Tuba-Euphonium Association Journal review stated their playing “features elegant and clear phrasing, delicate and expressive musicality, and beautifully captures the emotions and intent of the original works.” The In Motus Tuba Quartet has released two albums, In Motus (2016) and Shadows: The Music of Octubaween (2018). The Anonim Trio’s debut album Anonim was released in fall 2023. Dickey’s compositions and transcriptions are available through Cimarron Music, Hickey’s Music Center, and Euphonium.com/Absolute Brass. Their solo composition Movere appeared on the required literature lists for the 2020 Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival and the 2021 International Tuba-Euphonium Conference.



Dr. Dickey makes frequent contributions to the International Tuba-Euphonium Association Journal as an author and reviewer. They are committed to expanding the tuba and euphonium repertoire while bringing underrepresented composers and diverse perspectives into the conversation. Composers in the United States and abroad have written works for Dr. Dickey, including Elaine Fine’s Sonata for Tuba and Piano, Ricardo Arbiza’s La Battala Final, Zachery Meier’s Azure Roads, and Evan Zegiel’s Triptych for Low Brass Trio. Recently commissioned works include music by Katahj Copley, Juantio Becenti, Wayne Lu, brin solomon, Fernando Deddos, and Nicole Chamberlain. Dr. Dickey is a passionate mentor for aspiring educators and performers and frequently delivers presentations on brass pedagogy, LGBTQ+ advocacy, inclusive pedagogy, financial literacy, and career paths in music.



Dr. Dickey received a Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University as a student of Rex Martin. While at Northwestern, they were the recipient of the prestigious Eckstein Scholarship. Dr. Dickey earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa under John Manning. They also received a Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude, from Eastern Illinois University as a student of Allan Horney.