About

Full Bio

Cristian Larios (he/él) is a composer, conductor, and educator from Joliet, IL. He currently serves as the choir director at Plainfield North High School, where he leads five curricular choirs and oversees a variety of extracurricular ensembles and musical activities. As a composer, his work spans chamber and large-scale choral forms, centering on storytelling, identity, and human connection.

His music has been performed by ensembles including the Illinois State Madrigals, No-Name Chorale, SWIC Chamber Singers, and Tonality, and has been featured at the REDNote New Music Festival. His piece In This House was recorded by Tonality on their 2024 album America Will Be. In 2019, Cristian was selected as a fellow for the PREMIERE|Project Festival in partnership with Choral Arts Initiative. He also collaborated with Illinois State’s School of Theatre and Dance and Kristin Schoenback on a production of Ellen McLaughlin’s Oedipus.

In 2023, he was selected to participate in the New Canon Project—a national initiative by ACDA and ASTA to commission new works for developing ensembles by Black and Latiné composers. The following year, he was commissioned by the William Ferris Chorale as part of their Emerging Voices project, where he worked closely with Chicago Public Schools students to create a new choral piece grounded in their voices and experiences.

Larios is the recipient of the 2017 Harlan Peithman Music Scholarship for excellence in music theory and composition, the 2018 Illinois Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship, and most recently, the Teacher of the Year award at Plainfield North High School. He holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Music Education (Choral) and Music Composition from Illinois State University, where he studied with Martha Horst, Roger Zare, Roy Magnuson, Joshua Keeling, and Carl Schimmel. He earned his Master of Music Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he researched the experiences of secondary music educators of color in predominantly white institutions. 

A passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in music and education, Cristian serves on the Illinois ACDA Diversity Initiatives Committee and the PSD 202 Cultural Competency Committee.

He is also an enthusiastic supporter of ramen, fresh flowers, and the sparkle emoji ✨.

Professional Affiliations

American Choral Directors Association
Illinois Music Educators Association
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
Illinois Education Association

Shorter Bio

Cristian Larios (he/él) is a composer, conductor, and educator from Joliet, IL. He currently serves as choir director at Plainfield North High School, where he leads five curricular choirs and various extracurricular ensembles. His compositions span chamber to large-scale choral works, focusing on identity, storytelling, and human connection.

His music has been performed by Tonality, the Illinois State Madrigals, No-Name Chorale, SWIC Chamber Singers, and featured at the REDNote New Music Festival. His piece In This House was recorded by Tonality on their 2024 album America Will Be. In 2023, Cristian composed Our Land as part of the New Canon Project, a national initiative by ACDA and ASTA supporting developing ensembles through new works by Black and Latiné composers. In 2024, he was commissioned by the William Ferris Chorale to compose The Good in collaboration with CPS high school students.

Cristian holds degrees in Music Education and Composition from Illinois State University and a Master of Music Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He serves on the Illinois ACDA Diversity Initiatives Committee and PSD 202’s Cultural Competency Committee. He’s also an enthusiastic supporter of ramen, fresh flowers, and the sparkle emoji ✨.

Shortest Bio

Cristian Larios (he/él) is a composer, conductor, and educator from Joliet, IL. He currently teaches at Plainfield North High School and writes choral music that centers storytelling and connection. His work has been performed by Tonality, SWIC Chamber Singers, and others, with his piece In This House featured on Tonality’s 2024 album America Will Be. Recent commissions include Our Land (New Canon Project) and The Good (William Ferris Chorale). Cristian holds degrees from Illinois State University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and advocates for equity through music and education.