About

In high school, Chris Coster found a passion for writing choral music. His first choir piece, My November Guest, text by Robert Forst, placed third in the ILMEA All-State Composition Contest. During his senior year, he composed She Walks in Beauty, text by Lord Bryon for SATB, piano and string quartet and had the privilege of having it performed at his high school spring concert. During that same year, he submitted an art song called Free Me, text and music by Chris Coster, that placed first in the Illinois State High School Reflections Contest.

The following year, he attended Wheaton College and studied Music Composition, Piano, and Music Education with a choral concentration. He studied music composition with Dr. Shawn Okpebholo, Dr. Howard Whitaker, Dr. Xavier Beteta, and Dr. Misook Kim. During his junior year, he had the opportunity to compose a choir piece called Acquainted with the Night, text by Robert Frost, the piece was performed by the Wheaton College Men’s Glee Club. It also performed for the spring concert, the summer tour, and was again at his senior recital.

After graduating from Wheaton, Chris was commissioned to write two pieces for a Lutheran Women’s Church Choir in Naperville and currently works as a General Elementary and Middle School Music Teacher in the Chicago area.