CHRIS WATFORD is a Hudson, NY based bassoonist concerned with the expansion of the instrument's capabilities. Praised for giving "smooth varnish" (Boston Globe) to his performances, Watford works to advance the instrument's relevance within diverse contexts. As a specialist in contemporary music, his performances explore the limits of microtonality, extended techniques, improvisation and electroacoustics. His work with composers often investigates unfamiliar sounds and extreme sonic identities, with a specific dedication to the exploitation of the bassoon's acoustic peculiarities.

Watford is a member of the new-music ensemble Sound Icon (Boston) and has appeared with the NotaRiotous ensemble, Callithumpian Consort, A Far Cry, New England Conservatory’s First Monday series, the SEM Ensemble, and the Concord Chamber Music Society, among others, as well as solo appearances at Euro MicroFest (Freiburg), UK Microtonal Festival (London), and residencies at the Virginia Arts Festival and Boston University's Center for New Music.  

Watford is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and the North Carolina School of the Arts where his principal teachers included Richard Svoboda and Mark Popkin. He resides in Hudson, NY with his husband and their dog, Hank.