Biography
Christopher Jed “CJ” Madsen is adjunct faculty at the Brigham Young University School of Music, specializing in piano, conducting, and opera. CJ is completing doctoral studies in choral conducting at the University of Arizona, where he assisted the Collegium Musicum and Faculty Staff Choir ensembles at the University of Arizona and was the director of the Green Valley Community Chorus and the Latter-day Saint Tucson Institute of Religion. Mentors include Elizabeth Schauer, Jeff Vanderlee, and Thomas Cockrell. CJ recently received the Masters of Music degree from Brigham Young University (BYU), with an emphasis in choral conducting, where he was mentored by Andrew Crane, Brent Wells, Sonja Poulter, and Rosalind Hall. CJ received his bachelor’s degree in piano performance, also from BYU, studying with Scott Holden. He has written over 800 compositions that have been performed by dozens of choirs and soloists, including all the BYU auditioned choirs and the University of Arizona Symphonic Choir. CJ’s inspiration as a conductor, composer, and pianist come from his belief in Jesus Christ, his passion for people, his thirst for powerful music, and his love for his wife (Samm) and four children (Hollis, Charlotte, Jonathan, and Taran).