Christine Eisenmenger

Seattle-based jazz vocalist and trumpet player Christine Eisenmenger (formally Hannan) has often been called a musician’s musician.  Whether she is playing classical trumpet in an orchestra or leading her own vocal jazz quintet, her deep musical roots, varied training, and versatile skill-set makes her stand apart.  As a jazz vocalist, her deep alto voice is both warm and reedy at the same time, able to caress a lyric or swing with power and sass.  Christine’s horn-like and daring approach to improvisation recalls the sounds of modern jazz vocalists Betty Carter and Mark Murphy, and her confident and stylish lyric delivery has echoes of Carmen McRae and Diana Krall.   From exciting original arrangements of the Great American Songbook, wordless improvisations, and angular instrumental melodies, her repertoire is varied and contemporary.

A multi-instrumentalist, Christine began her musical studies as a classically trained trumpet player. Her studies took her to internationally-renowned conservatory Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.  For four intensive years, she honed her trumpet technique as a student of Edmund Cord, former principal trumpet player of the Israel Philharmonic. 

A year in Chicago was all it took to take Christine’s musical journey down a different path.  Collaborating with new jazz friends and colleagues led her to pursue a Master’s degree in vocal jazz.  She was accepted into one of the nation’s leading jazz institutions, the University of North Texas.  There she focused on her new passion for singing, honing her skills in songwriting, arranging, piano, and improvisation as well.   She studied privately with master vocalist Rosana Eckert, developing her song interpretation, vocal technique, and improvisation. She earned a spot in the award-winning and premier vocal jazz ensemble, the UNT Jazz Singers, directed by renowned educator Jennifer Barnes. She was a soloist, section leader and arranged for the ensemble.  Christine was part of the group which won a Downbeat in 2015 for Best Large Vocal Jazz Ensemble. 

Christine is currently residing in Edmonds working as a freelance vocalist and educator, available for live and studio performances. Christine maintains a large and active private teaching calendar. Previous teaching positions include being the Middle School Band Director at the Chicago Waldorf School. In 2018, she attended the Somatic Voicework™ workshop, and is a registered Somatic Voicework™ teacher. She implements the concepts in her own private teaching.  Christine is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Contact her for inquiries about joining her private studio. 

Photos by Nicole Bitonti. See her website here.