Chris Van Hof
Bachelor of Music (Trombone Performance and Music Ed)
Western Michigan University (2006)
Master of Music (Trombone Performance)
Eastman School of Music (2008)
Doctorate of Musical Arts (Trombone Performance)
University of Wisconsin, Madison (2014)
Why did you choose to attend WMU?
It had (and has) a balance and healthy blend of everything I was looking for: a superior trombone studio, outstanding other brass studios, outstanding jazz and classical performing ensembles, a well-regarded music education program, a walkable and friendly campus, off-campus performance venues, "big college" experience (football games, a great rec center, lots of fellow students to meet) mixed with "small college" feel in the music department (smaller class sizes, close relationships with professors, close friendships made), and all this at an affordable price.
What do you consider to be your most important professional achievement to date?
Being a faculty member at the 4th Panamanian Trombone Workshop in 2017 was a highlight for me. I was able to combine my passions for solo and chamber music playing, trombone choir conducting, and trying new food, and I did it completely in Spanish (more or less!). This experience of engaging in musical dialogue on the trombone with new friends in Panama was a really exciting and important moment for me.
What is your fondest memory of your time in the trombone studio (or music program) at WMU?
First off, in my freshman year, I met the woman who would become my wife. I count that as the best! I'd have to mark the time I spent performing at a high level in various ensembles with some of my best friends as the highlights of my time at WMU--especially in jazz orchestra and trombone choir. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the studio pizza parties, which were fantastic.
General information
Chris Van Hof is the Assistant Professor of Trombone at Ball State University, a position he has held since 2017. He previously held the same position at Colorado State University from 2013-2017. An S. E. Shires Performing Artist, he is also Principal Trombone of the Muncie Symphony, trombonist in the Da Camera Brass (in residence at Ball State), and the Emerald Brass. Chris is an experienced performer in multiple styles, having spent time equally as a symphonic player with the orchestras of Rochester (NY), Madison (WI), Fort Collins (CO), and Cheyenne (WY); and as a section member of commercial horn sections, jazz big bands and the trombone funk band the PoBoys Brass Band (2007-2011).
Chris has a deep background in teaching and is passionate about his work at Ball State. He trains his students to be adept at all styles of music on the trombone, to establish clear career objectives, to explore entrepreneurial and alternative paths of employment in the arts, and to focus on a strong process to accomplish all those objectives. He has presented clinics at the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference twice, he is a regular clinician and coach in high school music programs nationally, and he promotes a keen attention to teaching style and ability among his students at BSU. Chris studied with Mark Hetzler for his Doctorate (UW-Madison), Mark Kellogg for his Master’s (Eastman School of Music), and Steve Wolfinbarger for his Bachelor’s (Western Michigan University). He lives in Muncie with his wife Andrea and their two sons, Dexter and Fritz.