Chris DeVona is the Assistant Director of Bands at James Madison University, where he conducts the Symphonic Band, directs the basketball Pep Band, and works with the Marching Royal Dukes. In addition to his ensemble responsibilities, Chris also teaches conducting and marching band procedures courses. Prior to joining the band team at JMU, Chris was on faculty at Eastern University (PA), and he taught high school and middle school band/orchestra in his home state of Connecticut. 

When not working with the JMU bands, Chris travels frequently as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for concert and marching ensembles. During the summer and fall seasons, Chris stays actively involved with marching band and drum corps, most recently serving in leadership roles on the staffs at the Blue Knights and Jersey Surf Drum & Bugle Corps.

In additional to his teaching, Chris's works as an author span from educational literature to research in the wind band field. His recent textbooks include Small Band, Big Sound, a resource guide for music educators, as well as Expanding the Canon, a conducting excerpt book that foregrounds music by living composers. Chris's research primarily addresses score interpretation and connections with contemporary music analysis; his articles are published in the Journal of Band Research and the journal of the International Conductor's Guild.

Chris holds undergraduate degrees from the Hartt School and the University of Hartford in music theory and mathematics, and he completed his M.M. in conducting at West Chester University (PA).