Kris Kwapis regularly collaborates as soloist and principal trumpet with period-instrument ensembles across North America, including Portland Baroque Orchestra, Early Music Vancouver, Pacific MusicWorks, Bach Collegium San Diego, Staunton Music Festival, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Montana Early Music Festival, and performing with Oregon Bach Festival since 2014. A student of Armando Ghitalla on modern trumpet, with a BM and MM in trumpet performance from the University of Michigan, Dr. Kwapis also holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in historical performance from Stony Brook University.
Her playing is heard on Kleos, Naxos, ReZound, Lyrichord, Musica Omnia and Dorian labels, including the 2013 GRAMMY nominated recording of Handel’s Israel in Egypt, and broadcast on CBC, WNYC, WQED (Pittsburgh), Portland All-Classical (KQAC), Sunday Baroque and Wisconsin Public Radio, as well as a soon to be released album of 17th century music with Agave Baroque.
Kris enjoys sharing her passion of exploring historical performance with the next generation of performers and teachers as a faculty member at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music Historical Performance Institute since 2010 in addition to teaching at her home in Seattle and online. When not playing, writing, speaking or thinking about music, she is active as a visual artist in the encaustic medium, an avid cook, and home remodeler. www.kriskwapis.com