Christopher Ward, Musical Director and Conductor

Christopher Ward became the Musical Director of the Five Lakes Silver Band in July of 2019. Under his leadership, Five Lakes won the U.S. Open Brass Band Championships in 2022 and 2023, Dublin Festival of Brass in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and were crowned North American Brass Band Champions in 2023.

Christopher was just named a national finalist for The American Prize in Conducting a band/wind ensemble. He moved to Michigan from New York with his family in March of 2018 and is the Senior Director of Music and Gospel Arts for the Great Lakes Division of the Salvation Army. As part of his responsibilities, he is the conductor of the Great Lakes Divisional Band and is the founder and conductor of the Great Lakes Divisional Choir.

​Christopher also serves on the North American Brass Band Association Board of Directors and is the chairman of the Great Lakes Brass Band Association. He is an artist for Work of Art Custom Batons, an ambassador for Denis Wick Products, and plays cornet with the Brass Band of Battle Creek.

Prior to his appointment in Michigan, Christopher served as an Assistant Music Director for the Salvation Army in Greater New York for 16 years, and concurrently served as conductor for several groups, including the Greater New York Youth Band and the Hempstead Citadel Band. He was a member of the New York Staff Band for 23 years, 11 of those as its Eb Soprano Cornet Soloist. Christopher has performed or conducted in 22 different countries, and in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Tabernacle, Royal Festival Hall, The Royal Albert Hall and Buckingham Palace. He has had the privilege of performing with the New York Philharmonic, The Canadian Brass, The Kings Singers, and Sir Elton John. 

In recent years, he has studied conducting privately with Professor David King.
​
Christopher received his formal music training at New York's Mannes College of Music and The State University of New York - Purchase, where he received degrees in Fine Arts of Music & Trumpet Performance.