About

Guitarist Chris Allard is primarily a contemporary jazz guitarist, but is at home in a variety of genres. He has recorded seven original albums to date, garnering critical acclaim including ★★★★ in Jazzwise, Jazz Journal, Guitarist and BBC Music magazines. Chris has also appeared on many other recordings and concerts  in collaborative projects and as a session musician.

He has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, the Pyramids and Great Sphinx in Cairo, the Barbican, Montreux Jazz Festival, Nuremberg Festival, the O2 Arena London, Midem Festival (Cannes), Friends of Jordan Festival, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, Beiteddine Arts Festival (Lebanon), Edinburgh Festival, Emirates Palace Auditorium (Abu Dhabi), Duoro Jazz Festival (Portugal), Spring of Culture Festival (Bahrain), The BBC Proms in Hyde Park, Ronnie Scott’s, The Royal Festival Hall and many other venues. 

Chris has performed/recorded with Jacqui Dankworth MBE, Charlie Wood, Dame Cleo Laine, Sir John Dankworth, Omar Kamal, the BBC Big Band, Jamie Cullum, Gwilym Simcock, Alison Balsom OBE, Lea Salonga, Russell Watson, Tim Garland,  Il Divo, Mike Walker, Ken Peplowski, Tom Richards, Sheridan Smith, Paul Booth, Steve Waterman, and many others.

He is a Professor of Jazz at the Guildhall  School of Music and Drama, where he is currently completing a doctorate in contemporary jazz guitar.

 Chris plays in the band Hoop, which was formed by Paul Booth as part of his Secret Sessions project:

‘Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce its continuing relationship with the Secret Sessions series, for the worldwide release of Hoop on 5th November 2021. The core band is as good as it gets: Tom Walsh (trumpet), Nichol Thomson (trombone), Paul Booth (tenor sax & bass clarinet), Chris Allard (guitars), Laurence Cottle (electric bass) and Ian Thomas (drums). They are joined on a handful of tracks by Steve Hamilton (keys), Miles Bould (percussion) and Ross Stanley (Hammond organ)’   

Hoop’s album launch concert was part of the London Jazz Festival 2021. Chris contributed two original compositions to the album: Erin and Ocean Mirage. 

Amongst other projects Chris performs around the world with Palestinian singer Omar Kamal, with recent performances at the Pyramids in Cairo with the incredible backdrop of the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx, at televised concerts with big band and the Lebanese Symphony Orchestra in the middle east; at Beiteddine Festival at the presidential palace in Lebanon, and to 6000+ live at the Roman Amphitheatre in Amman Jordan, Dubai Opera House, and Emirates Palace Auditorium in Abu Dhabi amongst others. Chris appears on  Omar Kamal’s album Show Me The Light which reached the top ten in the UK charts. 

He also continues to play regularly with the legendary Charlie Wood; and recorded on two of  his recent albums, and a third yet to be released. Chris appears on Promised Land by Charlie Wood, which won the USA songwriting competition in the jazz category.  

Other interesting projects include the contemporary tango group Almagro Ensemble led by John Turville. 

In 2019, 2022 and 2024 Chris toured with 19 million-selling amazing singer Lea Salonga – the original Miss Saigon – with highlight venues the RAH, London Palladium, Theatre Royal London.

In 2019 Chris played a 52 date tour with Collabro, finishing at the Royal Albert Hall. Summer 2018 Chris toured with the 30+ million-selling Il Divo, also featuring Michael Ball, on their Castles and Country tour – with fantastic venues including Edinburgh Castle. April 2018 Chris toured with Olivier award-winning actress/singer Sheridan Smith OBE, performing as featured soloist with big band and strings on a sell-out tour with venues including the Royal Albert Hall.

Throughout autumn of 2017 Chris toured with Collabro, with venues including the London Palladium. Previous recent tours include arena tours with Il Divo in 2016 and 2014; including the O2 Arena in London. Throughout 2015 Chris toured with multi-platinum singer Russell Watson, the biggest selling UK classical artist of all time, with more than 80 sell-out concerts. Chris was playing classical, steel-string acoustic and electric guitars, as well as electric bass and mandolin. Also in 2014 Chris toured with Brit Award winning trumpeter Alison Balsom OBE, with venues including the Royal Albert Hall.

TV appearances include performing live on Children in Need, BBC Breakfast and the Paul O’Grady Show with Jacqui Dankworth MBE, with whom he has also appeared on BBC radio many times. Others include Friday Night is Music Night with Gwyneth Herbert and The BBC Concert Orchestra. In august 2010 Chris was a featured guest on Solar Radio, Los Angeles California, talking about album Open Spaces and playing live in the studio. September 2012 Chris performed with Madeline Bell and the BBC Big Band at the BBC Proms in Hyde Park London to over 42000 people.

As a studio musician Chris has recorded in many of the best studios in the UK including Maida Vale, Abbey Road, Metropolis, Pinewood Studios, Air, Angel Studios, RAK Studios, The Strong Rooms, and abroad at studios including Dinemec Studios, Geneva, and Solar Studio, Los Angeles. Chris has recorded for legendary producers such as Tony Platt (Led Zeppelin, ACDC, Bob Marley).

Chris also works as a composer. He wrote and recorded a piece of original tango music for the film Crowhurst, released 2018, which received rave reviews: “A devastating portrait of a fractured mind in fugue” Empire. “Hallucinatory.. feverish” The Hollywood Reporter. “Glorious..A timely, tragic myth” Sight & Sound. “Tremendously Moving” ★★★★ The Guardian. Amongst other previous writing projects he wrote the music for Berlin Film Festival sponsored short film Spoilt Broth, directed by Toby Roberts, which has been screened in Washington DC, Sydney, Moscow, London, Venice and New York City, where it won best comedy award at the GIAA Film Festival. It also won the USA Short Film Channel Best Film award 2012, and appeared at the International Film Festival of Cinematic Arts in LA and various other international film festivals.   

Chris held the guitar chair in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra from 2004-7, touring extensively in the UK and abroad. Prestigious concerts included playing at the Houses of Parliament, Birmingham Symphony Hall, and three week-long residencies at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. He appeared on three NYJO albums.

 Chris studied jazz and classical guitar at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, 2000-2004, receiving an honours degree in guitar performance. He was appointed Jazz Guitar Professor atn 2017, where he teaches in the jazz department – and where he is completing a doctorate in contemporary jazz guitar. 

He also studied jazz at Malmo Conservatoire, Sweden, receiving a diploma.

He previously studied popular music at the Guitar Institute, London, and Thames Valley University, receiving a foundation diploma and a diploma in Higher Education respectively.

Ovation guitar prize winner in 2000, Chris was also awarded a classical guitar by the Barbarolli Foundation 2002, and was finalist in the Gibson Guitar Competition at Montreux Jazz Festival 2004, also receiving a guitar.