Meet Christopher Schmitt.

Christopher Schmitt is a classical pianist living in Washington DC, leading a multifaceted career as soloist, collaborative musician, and educator. He received his Doctorate from the Juilliard School, and performs regularly with “The President's Own” Chamber Orchestra in the White House and throughout Washington. In 2021, he cofounded The Washington Arts Ensemble, a chamber music series in which he is a regular performer.

The Washington Post

"Christopher Schmitt … anchored both pieces [and] gave sensitive, carefully colored support throughout [the performance]."

The Santa Barbara News-Press

"Schmitt’s formidable talent shone through, gaining in boldness and interpretive assurance as the concerto progressed … mature beyond his years"

Concert Schedule

Many of Dr. Schmitt's concerts are for private events at the White House as part of his role as Keyboardist of “The President's Own,” but please find a list of his public performances below:

In the News

The Few. The Proud. The Pianist.

The military commercials were effective. At least they were for my roommate Ritchie Zah, Juilliard master’s violinist-turned-Aspen police officer and one of my closest friends. The scenes from our Juilliard days are still vivid in my memory: whenever a military ad aired on TV, Ritchie would…

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November 2015

U.S. Marine Band concert celebrates 70th anniversary of end of WWII

Dmitri Shostakovich and Olivier Messiaen were contemporaries who rose to creative maturity during the Second World War. Shostakovich spent much of that time in a struggle with the Soviet regime for…

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November 2015

Formed in 2021 by former Juillard classmates Christopher Schmitt and Natalia Kazaryan, the Washington Arts Ensemble strives to form a musical and social connection not only between musicians and the audience, but between each and every person attending the concerts - both during the performances themselves, and in the receptions surrounding those performances.