Hartt alumnus Christopher R. Selby ’92 is the recipient of the 2024 Hartt Alumni Award. Since 1959, this prestigious award has recognized outstanding Hartt alumni who have made significant accomplishments in the performing arts as artists, scholars, educators, managers, and technicians.
Christopher R. Selby is the author of Habits of a Successful Orchestra Director, Music Theory for the Successful String Musician and the lead string author of the Habits of a Successful String Musician method book series published by GIA Publications. He is an active clinician and conductor and has presented sessions at numerous Midwest Clinics, American String Teacher Association (ASTA) National Conferences, and state conferences across America. Selby currently directs the high school orchestras at the School of the Arts in Charleston, SC. His orchestras have performed at the Midwest Clinic and have twice won the top award of Grand Champion at ASTA’s National Orchestra Festival. Selby guest conducts Regional and All-State Orchestras across America.
After earning a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from The Hartt School, he earned a master’s and a doctor of musical arts degree in orchestral conducting from the University of South Carolina. He is married to Margaret Selby, herself a string teacher, conductor, and clinician. Their latest project (with Sarah Ball and Scott Rush) is the new beginning string method published by GIA: Habits of a Successful Young String Musician.
Michael Menapace ’93, co-chair of the Hartt Alumni Award Committee, sums up Selby’s impressive career, stating “Dr. Selby's orchestras are highly accomplished and he is an in-demand educator, clinician, author and conductor. This is [the] kind of sustained career and professional recognition that few can surpass in the field of music education.” The Hartt Board of Trustees and The Hartt School will present Selby with this award on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at the Hartt Dean’s Convocation at 12:45 p.m. in Lincoln Theater.