Christopher Neal joined the Houston Symphony in 2001. Prior to that he was a member of the Michigan Opera Theatre, North Carolina Symphony, and Naples Philharmonic. He holds degrees from Loyola University New Orleans and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Neal has participated in festivals at Spoleto USA, Tanglewood, and Norfolk and has performed as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Houston Symphony.
As a chamber musician, he has performed in venues as varied as KUHF radio and Saez and Zouk, a midtown nightclub. Neal enjoys teaching and has been on the faculty of the American Festival of the Arts in Houston. He is married to Mila Ivkovich Neal, a professional violinist who works with the Houston Grand Opera and Ballet, and has two grown children, Maja and Luka.