Chris Montan formally serves as President of Walt Disney Music and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing music for a wide variety of Disney projects including all Disney and Pixar animated feature films, all Disney Theatrical stage productions, as well as the music for Walt Disney Theme Parks and Resorts worldwide. Additionally, he serves as executive music producer for all of the Studio’s animated features and works closely in the story process as well as helping to select musical talent. Among his accomplishments, Variety named him “musical supervisor of the decade" in 1997 for his work on such soundtracks as “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Pretty Woman,” "Sister Act,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Pocahontas,” "The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and “Hercules.” He has been nominated for multiple Grammy® Awards and won Best Original Cast Recording for “Aida," and Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media for “Frozen.” Under his guidance the Walt Disney Studios has garnered an unprecedented 42 Musical Academy Award® nominations, and 16 Academy Awards in the “Best Song,” "Best Score,” and "Best Musical" categories.
Montan began his association with The Walt Disney Studios in 1984, and three years later was named vice president of music for motion pictures and television. In 1991, he began a four-year stint as senior vice president, music. In 1995, he entered into an exclusive five-year arrangement with Disney to produce motion pictures and provide consultation on a variety of music-related projects. In that role, he served as a producer of the popular 1997 TV musical production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” (starring Whitney Houston and Brandy); and executive produced “Annie," the 1999 television adaptation of the hit stage musical which earned him a Peabody Award for Broadcasting.
Under Montan’s guidance, soundtracks from ten of the Studio’s theatrical releases (“Cocktail,” “Beaches,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Pretty Woman,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Pocahontas,” “Tarzan,” “Frozen,” and “The Lion King”) have been certified multi-platinum with the latter having sold over 10 million.
He has exec produced all of the Disney Theatrical stage productions of multiple Tony® winning shows including “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,” “Aida”, “Tarzan”, “The Little Mermaid,” "Newsies," and the current hit Broadway show “Aladdin.”
Montan began his industry career as a touring musician (with Karla Bonoff) and a songwriter/recording artist on Twentieth Century Records, and has had songs recorded by Jennifer Warnes and Laura Branigan. As the father of a deaf son, he has served as President of the board of Tripod, a program for hearing impaired children. He currently serves on the board of the Carl John Foundation which supports numerous educational and health programs, as well as serving on the board of The Thornton School of Music at USC.
Filmography[]
- (1995) - Pocahontas (Executive music producer)
- (1995) - Toy Story (Executive music producer)
- (1996) - James and the Giant Peach (Executive music producer)
- (1996) - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Executive music producer)
- (1997) - Hercules (Executive music producer)
- (1998) - Mulan (Executive music producer)
- (1998) - A Bug's Life (Executive music producer)
- (1999) - Tarzan (Executive music producer)
- (1999) - Toy Story 2 (Executive music producer)
- (2000) - Fantasia 2000 (Music Consult)
- (2000) - Dinosaur (Executive music producer)
- (2000) - The Emperor's New Groove (Executive music producer)
- (2006) - Cars (Executive music producer)
- (2007) - Meet the Robinsons (Executive music producer)
- (2007) - Ratatouille (Executive music producer)
- (2007) - Enchanted (Executive music producer)
- (2008) - WALL-E (Executive music producer)
- (2008) - Bolt (Executive music producer)
- (2009) - Up (Executive music producer)
- (2009) - The Princess and the Frog (Executive music producer)
- (2010) - Toy Story 3 (Executive music producer)
- (2010) - Tangled (Executive music producer)
- (2011) - Gnomeo & Juliet (Executive music producer)
- (2011) - Cars 2 (Executive music producer)
- (2011) - Winnie the Pooh (Executive music producer)
- (2012) - Brave (Executive music producer)
- (2012) - Wreck-It Ralph (Executive music producer)
- (2013) - Monsters University (Executive music producer)
- (2013) - Frozen (Executive music producer)
- (2014) - Big Hero 6 (Executive music producer)
- (2015) - Frozen Fever (Executive music producer)
- (2015) - Inside Out (Executive music producer)
- (2015) - The Good Dinosaur (Executive music producer)
- (2016) - Zootopia (Executive music producer)
- (2016) - Finding Dory (Executive music producer)
- (2016) - Moana (Executive music producer)