ABOUT

CHRIS PASSEY CMgr FCMI FCCT FRSA

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Chris is an educator, author, award-winning composer, singer, musical director and vocal coach from the West Midlands.

 

Chris was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in April 2016, admitted as a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching in January 2023 and made a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute in June 2023.

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Chris is Deputy Head of Kimichi School, Birmingham's only specialist music school, as well

as co-musical director of Birmingham Voices, a professional choir that has toured the UK

with Josh Groban, Russell Watson and works regularly with BBC Songs of Praise. 2019

saw the choir on the road again with Russell Watson after an appearance at the London

Palladium and Christmas as the Barbican with the LSO.

 

Chris’s debut album, released in November 2011, ‘Self Taught; Still Learning’ achieved

critical acclaim, entering the Amazon Broadway charts at #2, becoming a Best Seller at

Dress Circle and leading to a sell out concerts in Leicester Square Theatre on 22nd January

2012 and again at The Union Theatre in March 2019.

 

Chris was a finalist in the inaugural Craig Barbour Award for Composition and was

‘Highly Commended’ in the Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize 2012 & a finalist in 2014.

Chris co-wrote cult hit 'Stagey & Proud' and this song went on to be performed by Sheridan

Smith at the What's On Stage Awards. His songs are performed all over the world in drama

school auditions and in rep classes across the country.

 

As Head of The Musical Theatre Institute (TMTI), Chris ensures professional performing arts training to young people across the West Midlands by providing low-cost workshops with industry experts, weekly classes and the chance to apply for funding from the BITA Foundation to help with audition fees and courses. Their productions, including Jesus Chris Superstar at The Old Rep, have gathered five-star critical acclaim to sell out audiences.

 

After a brief spell as a stand-in musical director Brilliant Theatre Arts founder and Creative Director David Jenkins made Chris Head of Music for the Hemel Hempstead-based youth production company which continues to defy expectations in what is achievable in this incredibly saturated field.

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Chris is CEO and founder of 4Stage Arts Ltd

and founder of the Association of Creative Leadership