chris van hof

trombonist, educator, arranger

Performance

Pedagogy

arranging

Trombonist, Educator, and Arranger Chris Van Hof performs, teaches, and writes in all genres and styles of music. Explore for information on his book Trombone21, studying with Chris at Ball State University, his arrangements and compositions for various configurations, and his transcribing/arranging/music engraving offerings.

Featured Products

Trombone21 Book

$40

existing charts

$20-$250

Written to order

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clinics classes

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about chris

Chris Van Hof is a trombonist, educator, and music arranger based in Indianapolis, IN, USA. He is the Associate Professor of Trombone at Ball State University, the Assistant Manager of the International Trombone Festival, an S.E. Shires Performing Artist, and co-author of the book “Trombone21: Performance Practice for Modern Musicians.”

Since arriving in Indiana in 2017, Chris has emerged as an active member of the Indianapolis music scene. He is principal trombone in the Carmel (IN) Symphony Orchestra. He is a regular substitute and auxiliary trombonist for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, organizations where he has played Guest Principal, Assistant Principal, Second, and Euphonium. He is a founding member of the Naptown Trombone Collective, a jazz trombone ensemble. And he is a regular recording artist in Indianapolis, contributing to projects for organizations including national theme parks, Brian Balmages, Randall Standridge, Hal Leonard, and many publishing companies. Chris also performs frequently in one-off engagements ranging from salsa to top 40 to symphony orchestra. As a soloist, Chris has been featured with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Ball State Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Eleutheria (Santa Fe, Argentina), the Ball State Wind Ensemble, and numerous solo recitals throughout the United States and South America.

Comfortable teaching in Spanish as well as English, Chris has forged relationships with fellow trombonists in Central and South America. He has been a featured performer and teacher at various festivals in Costa Rica, Panamá, Uruguay, and Argentina.

Since 2017, Chris has led the trombone studio at Ball State University. The studio has grown in both size and stature during his tenure, with alumni serving as educators throughout the state of Indiana, performing in the United States Marine Corps music program, and pursuing graduate study at institutions including the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, and Western Michigan University. The BSU Cardinal Trombone Choir has performed at the 2018, 2019, and 2021 International Trombone Festivals. Chris also served as Host for the 2019 ITF at Ball State, welcoming over 1,000 trombonists from across the world to the Muncie campus.

Chris studied at the University of Wisconsin - Madison with Mark Hetzler for his Doctorate in Performance, the Eastman School of Music with Mark Kellogg for his Master’s in Performance, and Western Michigan University with Steve Wolfinbarger for his Bachelor’s in Music Education and Performance. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife Andrea and their two boys Dexter and Fritz. They primarily spend their time at youth soccer matches, cooking, biking, camping, and enjoying the outdoors.

Audio samples

Listen below for solo, chamber, composing, and arranging samples

“Homeward” is part of the Trombone21 project and is a contemporary jazz composition for four trombones and rhythm section

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