Chris Nemec made his professional debut at age thirteen, and has appeared as organist, accompanist or tenor soloist with Opera Memphis, The Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, University of Memphis Opera Theater, and others. He has sung six seasons with the Carnegie Hall Choral Workshop, founded by the late Robert Shaw, under the baton of Maestro Shaw, Charles Dutoit, James Conlon and Sir Neville Marriner, and was part of the 2002 workshop with Sir André Previn conducting Brahms' Requiem. Recently, Chris sang two performances September 2002 in Salzburg, Austria, including at the Dome. He has served as rehearsal accompanist under John Rutter, Sir David Willcocks, Helen Kemp, Constantina Tsolainou, Jim Litton, John Ness Beck and other notables, and has played extensively for the Diocese of Memphis for ordinations and workshops. In January 1996, Chris was the recipient of a two-week internship with The American Boychoir in Princeton, New Jersey where he assisted in preparing J.S. Bach's B Minor Mass with the New York Philharmonic and Maestro Kurt Masur.
As an organist, Chris has performed at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign for the 1994 International Trumpet Guild; was the featured soloist by the Memphis chapter as the American Guild of Organists celebrated its centennial in April 1996, playing J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d as part of the "World's Largest Organ Recital"; appeared on ABC-TV on Easter Sunday, 1996 sponsored by the National Council of Churches; and played at National City Christian Church (the Disciples of Christ's national cathedral) in Washington D.C. in 1999 and 2000.
Chris has served as associate conductor-accompanist of The Gary Beard Chorale since its inception in August 1987, appearing in concerts at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, The Spoleto Festival (1992, 1994, and 1997) and Europe (Vienna, Austria and Melk.) Additionally, since 1983 he has served as Organist-Music Administrator, Director of Children's and Youth Music and Producer of Lindenwood Concerts. He teaches piano, organ and voice in the Lindenwood Studio of Music. He is the staff accompanist for the West Tennessee Metropolitan Opera Auditions.
Chris has performed for numerous industrial shows including Federal Express, ServiceMaster, Merry Maids, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, WONDERS: The International Cultural Series, and more.
Chris has orchestrated over 200 titles, usually for performance by the Chorale or The Lindenwood Chancel Choir. His first international orchestration was in 1988 for soprano saxophonist/composer Anders Paulsson of Sweden.
Chris' 2003 calendar included performances in St. Louis, Houston, Tallahassee, Birmingham, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Columbus, MS, and or course the greater Memphis area, and his 2004 calendar promises to be as varied and full, including five performances at the Gold Strike Casino in Tunica, MS in October, as Music Director for "Clue -The Musical" murder mystery for the second year.
One of Chris' love is playing cocktail-style piano, something he has done since age fourteen for wedding receptions, parties, Christmas events, church functions and more. In 2003, Chris began a three-part series of CD recordings: "Do You Remember? - The Piano Stylings of Chris Nemec" draws upon a pool of repertoire Chris has used countless times over the years. His 2nd CD, "The Very Best Time of Year" is music for the holidays, and his latest CD, "Simply Delicious", is music for dinner. The CD's are available at area stores or at www.chrisnemec.com
A 2006 exciting project for Chris has been a commission he received to compose, orchestrate, record, conduct and produce the soundtrack for a documentary about NASA's Shuttle Columbia CTS-107. The documentary shares how the citizens in a rural area of Texas came together to search for the remains of the seven astronaunts from the Columbia as it exploded over 37 miles above the ground February 1, 2003. This incredible story will document not only the failed re-enrty of NASA's massive space explorer, but also the story of the courage, faith, patriotism, and lack of fear these citizens protrayed. Click on www.chrisnemec.com
for more details.
Appearances in Summer/Fall 2004:
June 27 - The Riverside Church, New York City
July 15-18 & 22-25 - Theatre Memphis "Broadway by Request"
August 7 - Roberts Wedding (with trumpeter Ryan Anthony) - Christ United Methodist Church
August 12 - "Simply Delicious" CD release Party, Amro Music Store, Performing Arts Hall
August 25 - "Simply Delicious" Performance, Trezevant Manor
August 26 - "Simply Delicious" Performance, Wesley Highland Terrace
September 16-17 - St Louis, MO
September 23-24 - Houston, Texas
October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - "Clue - The Musical" Murder Mystery, The Gold Strike Casino, Tunica, MS
October 14 - St. George's Antique Show, Germantown, TN
October 21-22 - Tallahassee, FL
Do You Remember?
Chris Nemec
Self-released
* * *
On his cocktail-jazz CD "Do You Remember?," pianist Chris Nemec offers gentle, sweetly played stylings of many a standard and classic, from Misty and I Left My Heart in San Francisco to Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine and Summertime (which is so haunting a tune, it works in just about any setting). Nemec brings his own graceful personality to the proceedings as well as an unexpected adaptation or two, including Andrew Lloyd Webber's Memory from Cats and Did I Remember? from the 1936 Jean Harlow/Cary Grant film Suzy. If you're in the mood, Nemec has quite the svelte touch. He holds a CD release party from 6-8p.m. Thursday at Amro Music Recital Hall, 2918 Poplar Ave.
- Bill Ellis
The Commercial Appeal
As we were working at our computer, we picked up a CD and loaded in the player.
The CD was one by local Memphian and professional musician Chris Nemec, entitled "Do You Remember?" The first thing to come to our mind was a dinner party and this music playing in the background – beautiful, soft, relaxing piano accompaniment to an enjoyable evening. And even though we weren’t at a dinner party but working at our computer, we kept on listening all the way through because it was so soothing and good, very good.
Whether you are entertaining friends or just want to set a romantic mood, this is the CD to do it with.
-Anita Moyt, managing editor
Family and Friends
June 2005
Check out the artist's website:
http://chrisnemec.comTrack List:
1. Misty
2. Looking Through the Eyes of Love
3. Can't Help Loving that Man of Mine
4. Dancing in the Dark
5. Summertime
6. Stranger in Paradise
7. Love is a Many Splendored Thing
8. A Time for Us
9. New York, New York
10. Memory
11. I Left My Heart in San Francisco
12. One
13. Greensleeves
14. What I Did for Love
15. Did I Remember?
Suggested CDs:
Other Genres:
