American
Chamber
Orchestra
2026-2027 Season – Our 24th!
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Saturday, November 7, 2026 – 7:30pm
Season Opener
Schumann’s Cello Concerto, Op. 129 & More!
Saturday, February 27, 2027 – 7:30pn
Winter Concert
17th Concerto Competition
March 5-7, 2027
At Faust-Harrison Pianos
Details available soon!
Saturday, April 24, 2027 – 7:30pm
Mid-Spring Concert with
The Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut
Joseph Haydn’s “The Creation”
Saturday, June 5, 2027 – 7:30pm
Season Finale
Featuring 2027 Concerto Competition Winners
And More!
All Concerts at Norwalk Concert Hall
Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851
ACO Suggestion Box
Christopher Hisey
Conductor
Conductor Christopher James Hisey is the Music Director and Founder of the American Chamber Orchestra, Music Director and Founder of the Connecticut Philharmonic and Music Director of the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras. He also serves as the Music Director for the Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut.
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He has served as Music Director of the Civic Orchestra of New Haven, Connecticut Valley Chamber Orchestra, the Troupers Light Opera Company, and Perrysburg Symphony Chorale as well as the Associate Conductor of both the Perrysburg Symphony and the Bowling Green Philharmonia and Opera Theater Orchestras.
Maestro Hisey has been a frequent guest conductor of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony and has made appearances with the Ruse Philharmonic and Pleven Philharmonic in Bulgaria, and the St. Petersburg “Klassika” Symphony, formerly the Leningrad State Philharmonic, in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has conducted concerts throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico and China. In addition, Maestro Hisey has conducted concerts with such notable musicians as Sir James Galway, Tim Janis, Jackie Evancho, James Dunham, Chris Finckel and Deborah Wong.
A champion of new music Maestro Hisey frequently premieres new works. Emmy Award Winning composer Rex Cadwallader recently said of Maestro Hisey’s work, “He is an advocate for new music, and a caring and careful medium through whom my music has been brought gracefully and powerfully to life.”
A passionate and sought after music educator Maestro Hisey frequently appears as guest adjudicator and clinician at schools and festivals throughout the region.
His student orchestras have won top prizes in competition and have been invited to appear at Carnegie Hall, NAFME Eastern Music Festival and other festivals and concerts in the United States and abroad. He has served as Professor of Conducting, Orchestration and Music Director of the Orchestra at Manhattanville College and Professor of Conducting and Music Director of the Orchestra at Fairfield University. For the last 20 years he has served as Director of Orchestras and Chamber Music at Greens Farms Academy, in Westport, CT.
Maestro Hisey holds a Bachelor's degree in Viola Performance from the Eastman School of Music and Master’s Degree in Conducting from Bowling Green State Univeristy. He has been fortunate to study conducting with Emily Freeman Brown, David Effron, Gustav Meier, Donald Portnoy, and Donald Hunsberger.
Mr. Hisey lives in Monroe, CT, with his wife, Heather and their 4 children, Lauren, Alex, Grace and James.
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