Chistian Amonson, Arts Laureate Recordings, Seeing Sound

Christian Amonson

Owner, Founder, Lead Engineer

Able to see sound, recording engineer Christian Amonson has initiated a radical shift in the way that music is recorded and mixed. By echolocating sounds, he sees what the recording shows: the location of the instruments, the size of the space, the location of the walls, and the location of the mics. By integrating all the sonic cues that our ears want and expect to hear, Christian delivers a new level of realism/idealism and musicality. His first orchestral recording was described as “The best quality yet.” (Fairfax Symphony Orchestra)

He studied music composition before joining the Classical Music Library Online, where he reviewed and cataloged thousands of recordings from orchestras around world. The position transformed his ears and gave him a vision for what is possible, both in life and in music. Christian then won his first full-season recording contract at age 20, selected after Virginia's only fully-professional vocal ensemble auditioned the most experienced classical engineers in the mid-Atlantic. He received his first major label credit at 21 for Bruce Hornsby’s album, Elevate. He has since recorded for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with John Williams, and in 2015, Christian was selected to serve as Recording Engineer for "The President's Own" United States Marine Band in Washington, DC.

His work has been featured by NPR, the BBC, Time Magazine, the Kennedy Center, et al. International clients include the Venice Baroque Orchestra (Italy), Stradivari Quartett (Germany), Jesus College Cambridge (UK), Filharmonia Opolska (Poland), and others. Christian owns Arts Laureate, and he actively auditions, recruits, and mentors engineers, and he also serves as a resource to artists and engineers in the classical community. In 2019, he presented “The Fundamentals of Orchestral Recording” at the League of American Orchestra’s national conference.

senior team

Brian J. Isaac

Managing Director

Brian J. Isaac is currently the Artistic Director of the Alexandria Choral Society, the Williamsburg Choral Guild, and the Founder/Artistic Director of Church Circle Singers and has also held positions as the Interim Director of Choral Music at Thomas Nelson Community College, adjunct music faculty at Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion University, and Assistant Conductor with the Washington Master Chorale.

Brian is also an accomplished singer and maintains a private studio for voice and music theory. Brian holds a Master of Music in Music Education from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. Visit his personal site here.

Robert Armstrong

Engineering Team Lead

Robert has provided audio and video recording for groups like the Heinz Chapel Choir at UPitt, the College of William & Mary, the Virginia Arts Festival, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and others. Robert earned his B.A. in Music Technology at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he worked as a recording technician. Learn more about Robert here.

Natalie Groom

Audio Editing Team Lead

Dr. Natalie Groom is a clarinetist, composer, and educator. She has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma and Esperanza Spalding, and taught courses at the University of Maryland and University of Arizona. She’s the cofounder of Whistling Hens, a chamber duo that performs and commissions music by women composers, and she’s clarinetist and composer of Classically Dope, a classical/rap/hip-hop fusion group dedicated to using music as an instrument of positive social influence. She works as an audio editor and producer for Arts Laureate in addition to leading the audio team. Learn more here.

Lyndsey Gore

Project Manager

Lyndsey Gore brings a passion for creative collaboration and proactive planning to Arts Laureate. Her skills in logistics and partnership building have been implemented in DC-area companies including Washington National Opera, The Clarice at the University of Maryland, and the Kennedy Center. Lyndsey holds a B.A. in Music and Political Science from the University of South Carolina, and an M.A. in Arts Administration from Indiana University. She performs with The Capital Hearings vocal ensemble, loves world travel, and is a 7-letter noun for "crossword enthusiast." Learn more here.

Neil Brown

Recording Engineer, Label Manager

An accomplished trumpet player, Neil earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Maryland and was a member of the United States Navy Band in Washington D.C. from 2009-2013. He attended the National Orchestral Institute, Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Las Vegas Music Festival, and Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and has recorded groups like the Washington Master Chorale, the Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestra, and the Tryos Ensemble, which he conducts.

Learn more about Neil here.

Roshelle Goldstein

Designer

Roshelle has worked as a writer, magazine designer, and photographer for 16 years. Her more recent journey back to fine art was sparked by a month-long drawing challenge. A collection of her illustrations appears on wine and brandy bottles at Wilridge Winery in Washington state. She is also the designer for the newly founded Arts Laureate record label, Tonsehen. Learn more here.

Michael Oberhauser

Office Administrator

Michael's music has been performed at the Kennedy Center, Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU 88.5, Silver Finch Arts Collective, Opera Alterna, Ohio Northern University Symphony Orchestra, Ohio Northern University Singers, and the opera department at the Catholic University of America, among others. Notable commissions include pieces for the University of Maryland Opera Studio and Christian Youth Theater in Chicago.

Michael received his B.M. in Composition from Ohio Northern University, his Master's at the Catholic University of American, and his D.M.A. at the University of Maryland. Visit his personal site here.

Kristine Slipson

Video Editing Team Lead

Kristine is a photographer and videographer based in Orange County, CA specializing in family portraits, events, commercial, headshots, and video production. Learn more here.