Khris Dodge is a versatile musician, educator, and Tucson arts advocate for more than 30 years. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Tucson Jazz Festival, the Conductor and Musical Director of the Tucson Pops Orchestra, and also runs Khris Dodge Entertainment (KDE), a full-scale concert production company. Educated at the University of Arizona, where he earned both his Bachelor’s and Masters Degrees in Percussion Performance, Khris used the skills learned under Gary Cook – as well as jazz piano instruction from Jeff Haskell – to craft a versatile music career. Khris has played everything from orchestral percussion with Tucson Symphony and Arizona Opera (the latter of which he played with for 20 years) to keyboard for Broadway National Tours including Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Jersey Boys, and more. Additionally, he has played featured performances for the Sedona Film Festival, Ballet Tucson, Musical Instrument Museum, Austin Cabaret Theatre, and New York’s Metropolitan Room, to name a few.
Join Khris Dodge in this enlightening conversation on how music touches/infuses our lives, whether you know it or not. Creatively infusing live music examples, Khris will discuss the direct economic impact that the non-profit arts organizations in Pima County have on our region and how that positively affects our entire community. And in an engaging-non threatening way, Khris may even teach you some music in the process.
