About

Chris Bethmann is a Rochester, NY based singer-songwriter/guitarist. He performs regularly around Rochester and Western, NY. Chris was inspired to pick up the guitar at age 11 after watching his grandfather sing classic country songs around the campfire. Since first learning Neil Young’s "Heart of Gold”, Chris’s songwriting has been influenced by classic legends like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Billy Joel, and Johnny Cash and the Americana and Country juggernauts Jason Isbell and Eric Church. Three of his songs, “The Only One I Need” (semi-finalist), “Can’t Stop Thinking About You” (semi-finalist), and "I'm So in Love With Her" (runner up) were recognized by the Song of the Year Songwriting Contest. A graduate of the University of Rochester, Chris studied jazz guitar at the Eastman School of music under Rochester jazz legend Bob Sneider and has twice shared the stage with award-winning Native American singer-songwriter Keith Secola.