Professor Christopher Wood was born in Wales and graduated in Medicine from the Welsh National School of Medicine. He trained as a surgeon, becoming a consultant surgeon at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith Hospital, London and an honorary Professor at Imperial College, London. He holds a postgraduate M.D. from the University of Wales School of Medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He was made a Fellow of the University of Wales Trinity St David and a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales for his contribution to medicine. In 2020 he was given the Freedom of the City of London for his achievements in medicine and the Arts. In 2021 he was given a lifetime Achievement Award by the Scottish Life Sciences Association for his accomplishments in the field of medicine. He has gained an international reputation for his ability to identify, develop and commercialise innovative medicines.
Christopher Wood is also known for his contribution to music and the arts. He has composed several major choral works, including Requiem, Easter Oratorio (Holy Week) and Warrior Trilogy. His orchestral works commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Aberfan disaster and the D-Day landings have been performed at the Last Night of the Welsh Proms.
Recently, he composed an anthem in celebration of the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. The King graciously requested that the anthem be sent to the parish churches in the UK, to be sung on the weekend of the coronation.
He was appointed a Trustee of the Royal College of Organists and served as chair of the council for 3 years. In recognition of his services to the RCO he was granted an honorary lifetime membership of the College. He now serves as chair of the RCO Foundation and has made substantial donations to the Foundation to fund the ambitious project of placing organs in 700 state schools in the UK.
Chris is also chair of the Campaign Committee at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The aim of the committee is to establish a legacy fund to give financial support to talented individuals who are unable to meet the tuition costs. Chris has fronted this programme by providing the funds for a Scholarship for gifted students from deprived backgrounds. Roderick Williams, a rising star in the operatic world, who studied at the Guildhall School and who sang at the coronation, kindly agreed to add his name to the grant, thereby giving extra kudos for the recipients of the award. The Scholarship will provide funding for a student a year for the next 10 years.