Stephen Christen
Home:
Asbury Park, NJ
Date of Death:
December 20, 2009
Age:
67
Birthdate:
December 4, 1942
Place of Birth:
Jersey City, NJ
Service Information:
   
Visitation:
 


Stephen Christen, 67 of Asbury Park, passed away Sunday December 20, 2009, at his home.
Native and former resident (1991-2008) of Jersey City, Stephen Christen was raised in West New York and graduated from Memorial High School. He started playing music professionally at the age of thirteen as a club-date trumpeter. In high school he joined Talent Workshop, Inc. of Union City where he started to learn about jazz and playing for variety shows. He entered Montclair State College as a trumpet major and soon switched his major to horn (informally called the French horn).
After receiving his B.A. in Music Education he taught in Memorial High School and started playing in the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He left full-time teaching to obtain his Master's degree in performance at the Manhattan School of Music. The New Jersey Symphony was expanding its schedule to such a degree that returning to full-time teaching was not an option, but he did manage to be an adjunct instructor of horn at Wagner College in Staten Island for fifteen years, and also did much freelance work in such organizations as the Paper Mill Playhouse and the Staten Island Symphony.
A very limited list of organizations in which he's played would include the Hudson Symphony, St. Patrick's Church in Jersey City, the Orchestra and Band at New Jersey City University, Sound Tapestry of Hoboken, Riverside Brass Quintet, Wagner College Collegium, SIMS Band, Orchestra of St. Peter-By-The-Sea, Metro Lyric Opera, Imperial Brass Band.
He also wrote transcriptions and arrangements for various groups and individuals, including brass and woodwind quintets, the Orchestra of St. Peter-By-The-Sea, NJCU Sym. Of Winds and Percussion, etc.
Solo appearances include: Hudson Symphony, Richmond County Orchestra (Haydn Concerto #1 in D), Bach Brandenburg Concerto #1 and Christmas Oratorio, recital and chamber music appearances.

Stephen was A true child of New Jersey. Known everywhere and always reliable, every one of his colleagues loved working with him. He leaves many cousins, nieces and his brother Gary.

You may light a candle of condolence in Stephen's Book of Memories.