Emmelie Carlsson

It was a privilege to have known Chris, who joined my MMus class in September 2017\. He had just started postgraduate studies in London at the Royal College of Music. Chris stood out, even amongst his talented peers, because of the considerable musical and life experiences he had already accrued. He was always supportive of his…

Chris and I met at his audition for RCM in 2017, we were both auditioning for the conductors course. Fast forward to August 2019 and Chris walks in smiling to the Darlington Conductor’s course which we both happened to be on too! Neither of us knew the other would be there. In typical Chris fashion,…

I say a Little prayer for Christopher McMullen-Laird.  You shall travel well and calm, like in your mother’s arm, I will keep you in my heart, my friend, its not an end, take the love to the other side where music plays and you will surely be – eternally happy. For Zeke from Gabriella

I met Zeke in the early 2000s at New England Music Camp. We swam together in “swim for fit” (I was terrible and he was kind and encouraging) and traded jokes in orchestra (the viola section sat just below the oboes – mostly the jokes were about burning violas or burning oboes). I kept in…

I met Chris for the first time when he was in 10th grade, and inquiring about private Viola lessons. One month later, he called back to sign on with me, his private teacher, for lessons, and he remained with me until he graduated from high school. We became close friends during that time. He was…

I met Zeke in my sophomore year at Dartmouth through my friends Alexia Huffman and Peter Verovsek at the Amarna house. I was always in awe of him and the charismatic splendor and gregariousness he brought to every space he inhabited. Whether that be conducting a robust orchestra of young musicians at the lakeside retreat…