Christopher Tin is a two-time GRAMMY-winning composer of concert and media music. His music has been described as “intelligent” (The Guardian), “fiercely dramatic” (Wall Street Journal), “rousing” (Time Magazine) and “sonically riveting” (Washington Post). His output is strikingly diverse, ranging from symphonic works and opera, to world-music infused choral anthems, to film and video game scores.
His music has been performed in many of the world’s most celebrated venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, and Royal Albert Hall. Ensembles that have performed his music include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orkest, and the US Marine and Air Force Bands.
His song “Baba Yetu”, a Swahili setting of The Lord’s Prayer, is a modern choral standard, fusing together infectious melody and gospel rhythms with complex modulations and soaring orchestration. It was the winner of the 2011 GRAMMY Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals, and is one of the most frequently performed contemporary choral pieces. Originally written as the theme song for the video game Civilization IV, its place in history was cemented when the Guinness Book of World Records recognized it as the first piece of music written for a video game ever to win a GRAMMY.
Tin’s studio albums have also achieved considerable acclaim, often appearing on the world’s largest stages. His debut album, the multi-lingual song cycle Calling All Dawns, won him a second Grammy in 2011 for Best Classical Crossover Album, and his follow-up release The Drop That Contained the Sea debuted at #1 on Billboard’s classical charts, and premiered to a sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. His third album To Shiver the Sky also debuted at #1, with its showstopper aria ‘Courage” subsequently performed by opera star Danielle de Niese at the Davos World Economic Forum. His fourth album The Lost Birds—a collaboration with acclaimed British vocal ensemble VOCES8— earned him his third GRAMMY nomination in 2023, and is a mainstay of both classical radio and ClassicFM’s Hall of Fame.
His opera composing career was launched when legendary director Francesca Zambello commissioned him to compose a new ending to Puccini’s unfinished final opera Turandot. The resulting production at the Kennedy Center sold out its run prior to opening night, played to standing ovations, and was adored by artists, audience, and critics alike. A studio recording of his completion was subsequently unveiled before a worldwide audience at the Winter Olympic Games Milano-Cortina 2026, during the silver medal-winning figure skating program by Japan’s top men’s skater, Yuma Kagiyama.
Tin is widely known in the gaming world as a pivotal figure in elevating the artistic credibility of video game music. He is closely associated with the legendary Civilization franchise, but also with the PGA Tour 2K games, as well as critically acclaimed indie games Offworld Trading Company, Aether & Iron, and Old World, which netted him his fourth GRAMMY nomination. His film works include jazz arrangements and additional score for feature films Crazy Rich Asians, X2: X-Men United, and Sausage Party. He is also an adept collaborator across genres, having worked with artists as diverse as Lang Lang, BT, Alan Menken, and Danny Elfman.
He is signed to an exclusive record deal with Universal under their Decca Gold label. His publishing is represented by Concord, and his sheet music is represented by Boosey & Hawkes.
Born to immigrant parents from Hong Kong, Tin grew up in Northern California, firmly grounded in classical music, but also dabbling extensively in jazz, bluegrass, rock, musical theatre, and world music. He did his undergraduate work at Stanford and Oxford, graduating with honors with a BA in Music and English, and an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities. He then received an MMus with Distinction from the Royal College of Music in London, where he graduated at the top of his class and won the Joseph Horovitz Composition Prize. He is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, Sundance Institute Fellowship, and BMI Conducting Fellowship.