Chris O’Connor

Registered Music Therapist
Auckland Regional Centre

Chris has played drums in bands since his teenage years, and has made a living as a professional musician performing, recording, composing and teaching in a dizzying array of settings. He studied Jazz at the Wellington Conservatorium of Music (AdvDIpJazz 1993-1996), and Ethnomusicology at VUW (DipArts 2000). Chris has had music therapy in his sights since first encountering it while living in the UK in 2003, and is currently studying towards his Masters of Music Therapy at VUW.

Collaborating with people in music has always been Chris' passion, and this has led him to working in a diverse range of musical contexts. In any given week, you could see him playing contemporary classical music with the Auckland Chamber Orchestra, iconic kiwi pop with Don McGlashan, cutting edge freely improvised music with Arts Laureate Jeff Henderson, or psychedelic indie rock with The Phoenix Foundation.

An experienced touring musician, he has travelled the country and the globe with Don McGlashan, Neil Finn, Nadia Reid, Tim Finn, Grada, Jonathon Crayford, The Phoenix Foundation, SJD, Trinity Roots, Tami Neilson and many more. As a recording artist, Chris appears on over 50 albums, as well as documentary and film soundtracks. As a composer, Chris has collaborated with film-makers, choreographers and theatre directors.

Chris is a passionate educator, maintaining a private practice as well as having held artist-tutor positions at Auckland University, Unitec, Massey University, and Victoria University of Wellington. Chris lives in Auckland with his partner and two children, and is relishing the new horizons music therapy and the work at RMTC is opening up for his musical practice.