Christopher Norton is currently in his 16th season as Music Director and Conductor of the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra.  Prior to moving to Tennessee, he held a similar post for nearly a decade in Kentucky with the Bowling Green Western Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Norton has guest conducted the Nashville Symphony on numerous occasions and joined Maestro Guerrero in conducting works by Ives and Grainger on their second Carnegie Hall tour.  Additionally, he has guest conducted the Alabama Symphony, Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Nashville Ballet, ALIAS Chamber Ensemble, Vanderbilt Orchestra, Belmont University Orchestra, and Blair Chamber Orchestra. Recognized for his work on university campuses, he has conducted various faculty and student ensembles in concerts of symphonic, opera, chamber, pops, ballet, and choral repertoire.

Norton earned his doctorate from Louisiana State University, and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music. He studied orchestral conducting with David Effron, choral conducting with John MacDonald, and band conducting with Frank Wickes; additional studies were taken from conducting workshops hosted by the American Symphony Orchestra League and the Conductors Guild. Beyond these experiences, Norton credits the educational benefits of performing for forty years as a percussionist in professional orchestras under a wide array of conductors.

Dr. Norton is Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Belmont University.  Prior to his appointment to Belmont in 2001, he taught fourteen years at Western Kentucky University.