Christopher Jed “CJ” Madsen is a third-year doctoral student in choral conducting at the University of Arizona. He has assisted the Collegium Musicum and Faculty Staff Choir ensembles at the University of Arizona, and from 2022 to 2024 he was the director of the Green Valley Community Chorus. Mentors include Elizabeth Schauer, Jeff Vanderlee, and Thomas Cockrell. CJ recently received the Masters of Music degree from Brigham Young University (BYU), with an emphasis in choral conducting. CJ received his bachelor’s degree in piano performance from BYU, studying with Dr. Scott Holden. He has written over 500 compositions that have been performed by dozens of choirs and soloists, including all the BYU auditioned choirs and the University of Arizona Symphonic Choir. His works have been performed at 2 ACDA regional conferences.

CJ’s inspiration as a conductor, composer, and pianist come from his belief in Jesus Christ, his passion for people, his thirst for powerful music, and his love for his wife (Samm) and four children (Hollis, Charlotte, Jonathan, and Taran).