Bob Christianson is a composer, arranger, keyboard player, and conductor. He was honored to have the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) première A Christmas Carol – The Concert in December of 2011. This is the second of his orchestral works that has been performed by the BSO, the first being Too Hot To Handel, which he co-arranged.
Christianson’s new musical, Take Me America (book and lyrics by Bill Nabel), recently had a two-month run at the prestigious Village Theatre in Seattle, which was the original home of the hit Broadway shows Next To Normal and Million Dollar Quartet. Additionally, he was the most called-upon composer for the HBO series Sex And The City. Christianson has been nominated for an Emmy for his music for ABC Sports, and he has scored many series for the Discovery family of networks, including Secrets Of The National Parks and The Blue Angels – A Year In The Life. His television credits also include Mysteries Of The Museum (Travel Channel) and the iconic “NCAA Basketball Theme” for CBS. Christianson has also scored Life Is Wild (for the CW), The Equalizer (CBS), Gimme A Break (NBC), and The Winter Olympics (CBS). He has written over twenty-five award-winning sports themes for CBS, ESPN, and ABC.
Christianson received his bachelor’s degree from the Crane School of Music, SUNY at Potsdam, and he has done graduate work in composition at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. After college, he started his career in New York as musical director/conductor for such Broadway Shows as Godspell, Gilda Radner – Live From New York, and The Magic Show. As a successful studio synthesist, he has recorded with such producers as the late Arif Mardin and has recorded with such artists as Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Jan Hammer, Judy Collins, Dianna Ross, Rupert Holmes. Christianson’s orchestral works have been performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony, the Concordia Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, and others.