A native of Winston-Salem, NC, Christian Gray joined the double bass section of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra at the start of their 2017-2018 Season.  Prior to his appointment, he performed frequently with numerous other ensembles including the National Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, and San Antonio Symphony, among others.  

Mr. Gray has been a recipient of several fellowships, including two summers at the Tanglewood Music Center, where he performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra; the Music Academy of the West; and as the first and only double bassist at the Garth Newel Music Center in Hot Springs, Virginia.  An advocate for new music, he premiered solo bass works by Jakub Polaczyk and Rafael Borges Amaral.

Christian performs on a Lorenzo Carcassi model double bass made by Barrie Kolstein in 2000, a loan made possible with generous support of Matthew Way and for winning Doublestop Foundation’s Instrument Loan Competition in 2014.  Christian studied at Rice University, Boston University, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. His primary teachers include Edwin Barker, Paul Ellison, and Paul Sharpe.