Hailed as a “Children’s musical star” (National Post) and “Canada’s greatest eco-troubadour for young people” (Mississauga Living Arts Centre), JUNO Award nominee and CFMA winner Chris McKhool is one of Canada’s hottest musicians for young people. Chris has been touring the world with his children’s concerts for two decades, reaching over 1 million children live in concert, and has appeared on Mr. Dressup, YTV’s Treehouse, TVOntario’s Crawlspace and the CBC.

Chris brings his love of violin to young audiences and tours his FiddleFire! concert for children in festivals, concert halls and schools across Canada. Closer to home he has performed at Toronto Harbourfront’s Cushion Concert series, the Distillery Jazz Festival, and has headlined Toronto’s First Night at the Skydome/Rogers Centre. His 2009 JUNO Award nominated “FiddleFire!” CD won the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award for Children’s Album of the Year, a 2009 Parents’ Choice Award, a 2009 iParenting Media Award and was picked for the 2009 Canadian Children’s Book Centre ‘Best of 2009’.

A champion of environmental issues, Chris created the world’s largest bicycle bell orchestra in 2008, at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto with over 800 bell ringers!  Chris won a 2005 Green Toronto Award of Excellence and was a finalist for the Environment Canada Action Award for his work in schools and communities across Canada with his CD and concert “Earth, Seas & Air”. He has also won a Parent’s Choice Award in the U.S. for his CD of the same name, produced by Ken Whiteley (Raffi). He has been the recipient of Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, FACTOR and PromoFact Awards.

In 2005 Chris released his Parent’s Choice Award winning children’s CD, “Celebrate! Holidays of the Global Village” at Hugh’s Room in Toronto. Inspired by travels across Canada and around the world, “Celebrate!” is a groundbreaking collaboration with musicians from diverse cultures. It features songs about holidays from across the globe that are celebrated here in Canada, including Bodhi Day (Buddhist), Carnival (Quebec), Chanukah, Chinese New Year, Christmas, Diwali, Eid, Indigenous traditions, Kwanzaa (African-American), Ramadan and Winter Solstice.

Chris has toured through all of Canada including Baffin Island and has appeared at the Ottawa, Vancouver, Thunder Bay and London International Children’s Festivals. He has also performed in the U.S, England, Cuba, Guatemala and Tibetan schools across the Indian Himalayas.

Chris grew up in a house bursting with music and diversity. His paternal Makhoul grandparents immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in the early 1900’s. His Egyptian-born mother is a piano and theory teacher. Growing up Chris was fed a steady diet of delicious musicality along with Middle Eastern cuisine and violin lessons.

From a very young age Chris was taught the Canadian values of tolerance, respect for all peoples and celebration of culture. His passion for exploring the rhythms and melodies has led him to the far corners of the world, collecting instruments and styles everywhere he went. Travels to the Canadian Arctic, Indonesia, France, England, Cuba, Peru, Guatemala, Costa Rica and the Indian Himalayas to perform and conduct music workshops have added to his depth of musical and spiritual understanding of our global community.

Chris also leads 3x JUNO nominated and 7x CFMA winning band Sultans of String, which includes such amazing musical friends as: guitarist Kevin Laliberté (Jesse Cook), bass master Drew Birston (Amanda Martinez, Chantal Kreviazuk), Nyckelharpa player Saskia Tomkins (Come From Away), and Cuban master percussionist Chendy Leon (Jesse Cook, Parachute Club). Touring as a duo to quintet, McKhool draws from this collective of master musicians to bring world music to community, festival and intermediate/high school audiences around the world including the Celtic Connections Festival in the UK, Birdland jazz Club in NYC, Mariposa Folk Festival, National Arts Centre, and performing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thompson Hall.

2025

Chris McKhool receives the Key to the City in Burlington

Canadian Folk Music Awards – nominated Ensemble of the Year

Festivals & Events Ontario – Performer of The Year

Festivals & Events Ontario – Innovation Award

2024

Best Musical Film and Best Soundtrack at the Cannes World Film Festival

Folk Music Ontario – Performing Artist of the Year nominee

Burlington Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame for McKhool

Merilaïnen Music Awards – Indigenous Ally of the Year

2023

International Songwriting Competition – Finalist

Canadian Folk Music Awards – Global Roots Album of the Year with Sanctuary

Canadian Folk Music Awards – Producer of the Year with Sanctuary

Canadian Folk Music Awards – nominated Pushing the Boundaries & Contemporary Album

Canadian Folk Music Awards – winning Global Roots Album, and Producer of the Year

Canadian Folk Music Awards – nominated Pushing the Boundaries & Contemporary Album

2022

Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award – JAYU Arts For Human Rights

Folk Music Ontario – Song of the Year winner – Mi Santuario

Folk Music Ontario – Nominated for Performer of the Year

Cannes World Film Festival – Best Musical Film

Burlington’s Best Local Musician/Band

2021

Canadian Folk Music Awards winner for Producer of the Year with Refuge

Canadian Folk Music Awards nominee for Ensemble of the Year with Refuge

Canadian Independent Music Association – Pivot Award

Markham Performing Arts Awards – Professional Artist of the Year

International Songwriting Competition – World Music – Mi Santuario

2020

Folk Music Ontario – Songwriting Award – Instrumental – “Refuge”

Folk Music Ontario – Songwriting Award – Political – “I Am a Refugee”

Independent Music Awards – Instrumental Song of the Year – The Grand Bazaar

Independent Music Awards – World Music Producer of the Year – Refuge

2019

International Songwriting Competition- Folk semi-finals – “Power of the Land”

International Songwriting Competition- Performance semi-finals – “Power of the Land”

2018

Canadian Folk Music Awards– Producer of the Year nominee

2017

New York Times Hits List

Billboard World Music Charts – Christmas Caravan CD hits #6

Canadian Nielsen World Music Charts – Christmas Caravan CD hits #3

Folk Music Ontario- Songwriting Award for “Sing For Kwanzaa”

Folk Music Ontario- Songwriting Award for “Road to Kfarmishki”

ISC International Songwriting Competition- World category – “Sing For Kwanzaa”  • 2017 USA Billboard World Music Charts

JUNO Award Nominees – World Music Album of the Year

USA Billboard World Music Charts

2016

Canadian Folk Music Award – World Group of the Year

Global Music Awards– World Music / Beats

JUNO Award Nominees for “Instrumental Album of the Year” – Symphony!

International Songwriting Competition (ISC) – Subcontinental Drift

2015

Toronto Independent Music Award Winner – World Music

2014

SiriusXM Independent Music Awards Winner- World Group of the Year

IMA Independent Music Vox Pop Award – Music Producer – Symphony! -Chris McKhool (Producer), Rebecca Pellett (Associate Producer)

2013

ISC International Songwriting Competition- Instrumental – “Monti’s Revenge”

Folk Music Ontario- Songs of the Heart Winner – Instrumental – “Monti’s Revenge”

Festivals & Events- Performer of The Year

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal

SiriusXM Canadian Indie Awards Nominee for World Group of the Year with SOS (Sultans of String)

2012

Canadian Folk Music Award quadruple nominee winning World Group of the Year with SOS– also nom Instrumental Group of the Year,  and Pushing The Boundaries.

Canadian Folk Music Award nominated for Producer of the Year.

Festivals & Events- Entertainer of The Year

2011

Ontario Contact – Artist of the Year

2010

JUNO Award Nominees for Yalla Yalla! – Instrumental Album of the Year with SOS

Canadian Independent Music Awards nominees- Favourite World Artist/Group

2009

International Songwriting Competition (ISC) First Place Winners – Instrumental

Canadian Folk Music Awards Instrumental Group of the Year – Sultans of String

Canadian Folk Music Awards – nominated Ensemble of the Year – Sultans of String

Canadian Folk Music Awards nominated Pushing the Boundaries – Sultans of String

2008

International Songwriting Competition Winner (ISC) – Instrumental

Festivals & Events Ontario – Best Variety Act