Blaine Anderson
Criss was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Cerina (née Bru) and Charles William Criss, a banker and a former director of the San Francisco Opera, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Stern Grove Festival, and San Francisco Performances. Criss is Eurasian—his mother, a native of Cebu, Philippines, is of Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino descent, while his father, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is of Irish descent. He has an older brother named Charles "Chuck" Criss, a musician and member of the indie rock band Freelance Whales.
In 1988, the Criss family relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii, where Criss's father started the East West Bank, serving as Chairman and CEO. They lived there until their return to San Francisco in 1992. At the age of five, Criss began taking violin lessons and continued his classical training up through university. He eventually became a multi-instrumentalist, mastering the guitar, piano, cello, mandolin, and drums.
Criss completed his elementary education at Stuart Hall for Boys, and then later graduated from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in 2005. During his time at Saint Ignatius, he was part of the student government, the school orchestra, and the performing arts program for which he was awarded the 'Theater Arts Leadership Award' and the 'Fine Arts Plaque Award' in 2005.He was also awarded the National Latin Exam Award in 2002 (Maxima Cum Laude) and 2003 (Magna Cum Laude). In 2009, Criss obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Performance from the University of Michigan.
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