Head Director

Christian De la Cruz

Christian De la Cruz is in his 15th year of teaching and 3rd year as head choir director with the nationally acclaimed Tompkins High School Choir Program in Katy, TX and is serving as the director of music at Grand Lakes Presbyterian Church. Christian graduated summa cum laude from Texas State University with a bachelor's in music education and a minor in mathematics under the direction of Dr. Joey Martin and Dr. Lynn Brinckmeyer, thanks in large part to the Terry Foundation Full Ride Scholarship awarded to just 16 out of over 5000 incoming freshmen.

Choirs under his direction have earned consistent Superior ratings at UIL Concert & Sightreading and have consistently had multiple students earn a spot in the Texas All-State Choirs. In 2017 he helped direct and lead his former choir program to win the State Championship for choir with American Classic Texas Madrigal Festival against the very top 40 high school choirs from all-across Texas. Christian is frequently invited as a clinician, judge, and guest conductor for various high-schools, middle-schools, and choral festivals throughout the state. Christian has conducted and toured with his choirs in Hawaii, Washington DC, Peru, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Italy. In the summer of 2025 he will tour with Tompkins singers in England and France. In 2019 he directed a high school choir that was crowned Champion of Leonardo Da Vinci International Choral Festival in Florence, Italy where they competed against the best choirs from Spain, Denmark, Bulgaria, the Philippines, Indonesia, Costa Rica, and China.

He served as the executive administrator for the Texas State University Choir Camp for many years and sang professionally with the San Antonio Chamber Choir, recording 2 albums with them. He is also a singer with the Houston premier choir, Suono. Christian is a member of TMEA, TCDA, TMAA, Mu Phi Epsilon, and has served on the Advisory Board for the Terry Foundation as one of its youngest members at the time. Christian immigrated from the Philippines at age 3. He credits finding his passion for choral music through the McAllen ISD choral programs under the direction of his teachers Amby Tanner, Joyce Hull, Carlos Alfaro, Debbie Morton, Leslie Tanner, and Ed Arguelles. His mentors in San Antonio included Mary Cowart, Dianna Jarvis, Amanda Jeffries, and Jo Scurlock-Dillard.

In May of 2024, Christian was awarded the HEB Excellence in Education Award out of over 5000 nominated teachers throughout the state. As a result of the HEB EIE Award, Tompkins choir received a $10,000 grant from HEB.

He currently resides in the Cross Creek neighborhood with his two greatest joys: his wife, Audrey, and nine-year-old daughter, Rose.