Chris Muller (Nijmegen, 1998) is a Dutch pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing classical piano at a young age but found his passion in jazz soon after. After getting a bachelor’s degree in applied physics at the TU/e at the age of twenty, he decided to pursue his musical dream at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. He followed a double degree Jazz Piano and Arranging, from which he graduated in June 2023 both with a cum laude degree. Chris has shared the stage with many musicians from the Dutch jazz scene and played with many orchestras, as for instance the the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. As an composer/arranger Chris at this point had the opportunity to write for a variety of orchestras and big bands such as the Metropole Orkest and the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, and soloists including Randy Brecker, Dick Oatts and Gerald Clayton.
In 2016, Chris took part in the prestigious Prinses Christina Jazz Contest with De PuBi’s, winning a first prize and the audience price in the large ensemble category. In 2019, Chris took part in the same contest as a soloist, resulting in a second place. The jury spoke about “very mature jazz”, “outstanding communication” and expressed their appreciation for the brand-new composition Turning Thoughts.
As a bandleader Chris plays with his own trio, and as a pianist, conductor, and arranger he leads the Chris Muller Bigband. This band was founded in 2021 and now is one of the youngest professional big bands in the field. Also, Chris works together with Steve Galloway, former member of the Basie Bigband, to form the Galloway | Muller Collective. As sideman Chris has been part of multiple bands and orchestras, such as the Jong Metropole, BOSCO and the Dual City Concert Band.
