Chris Welcome lends his unique voice to a variety of ensembles, from sparse chamber-jazz to spastic avant-metal. He performs regularly with Mothguts, Sam Mickens’ Ecstatic Showband and Revue, Trio Caveat, Mike Pride, Ben Gerstein, Daniel Carter, Shayna Dulberger, Jonathan Moritz, James Ilgenfritz, Lisa Mezzacappa, Kirk Knuffke, and others. As a composer, Chris has written extensively for his own quartet and various chamber ensembles. His compositions often combine the space and pointillism of Webern and Cage with extended techniques and a loose, jazz sensibility. He grew up in Chicago, where he studied with Frank Portolese, and attended Rutgers University, where he studied with Vic Juris, Stanley Cowell, and Ralph Bowen.