Christopher Painter was born at Port Talbot, South Wales in 1962 and studied music at University College, Cardiff. His composition studies were initially with Timothy Taylor and Richard Elfyn Jones and in 1984 he began to study with Alun Hoddinott. He studied full-time with Hoddinott until 1989 and complemented these studies with consultations and masterclasses with Samuel Adler (Eastman School of Music, New York); George Benjamin; John McCabe; Edward Gregson; Robert Simpson and Marek Stachowski (Warsaw University).

In addition to his composition studies, Christopher also studied conducting with Edward Gregson; Stanley Saunders (University of Guelph, Canada); Rod Walker (University of Texas, USA); and latterly, with Christopher Adey. 

After completing his formal studies, Christopher worked for both the BBC and the Welsh National Opera before deciding to leave to further his freelance career.

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He was the founding conductor of the Richmond Chamber Orchestra and the first musical director of the Swansea Opera Workshop. 

Christopher has been commissioned to write for many diverse organisations and events including the Cardiff Festival of Music, Lower Machen Festival and the North Wales Music Festival and has had performances of his music by the orchestra of University College Cardiff; University Ensemble (Cardiff); Gemini Ensemble; National Youth Brass Band of Wales; National Youth Orchestra of Wales; Welsh College of Music & Drama Symphony Orchestra, West Glamorgan Youth Brass Band, the West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Christopher Painter was the first recipient of the Afan Thomas Composer's Award and has also won the National Eisteddfod Composition Prize (Newport 1988) and was featured in the Welsh Arts Council's "Young Welsh Composer Forum" in 1987. In 1997, Christopher Painter was the first Welsh winner of the "Gregynog Composer Award of Wales" which was given for his "Sonata for Harp" which was premiered on June 28th at the 1997 Gregynog Festival by Elinor Bennett. 

In October 1997 Christopher was appointed as Composer-in-Association with North Wales based Ensemble Cymru and wrote a number of works for this ensemble, including the children's dance work, Yggdrasil, a Millennium Commission/Techniquest commission as part of the “Sounds for Science” project. 

In 1999 Christopher Painter was Composer-in-Residence with both the National Youth Orchestra and National Youth Brass Band of Wales. His work, Invisible Cities, for the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, not only received four performances but was also subsequently released on CD by the orchestra. 

I n December 2003, Christopher Painter was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts. 

In August 2005, Christopher won the prestigious "Tlws y Cerddor" (Musicians Medal) at the National Eisteddfod of Wales for his chamber work, Yr Hanes Swynol (A History of Charms) and won it for a second time in 2010 for his work for baritone, violin and harp, Syniadau'r Serch (Thoughts on Love). 

In January 2006 his "Forest of Dreams" was premiered with great success by the Thueringen Phiharmonie, conducted by Alun Francis, and broadcast on German television. In 2010 his "Symphony No.3 - Fire in the Snow" was premiered in Mexico City by the Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM, once again conducted by Alun Francis, with the second performance being broadcast on Mexican television.