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Concertmusic Bio


"...Kaufman is among the most deeply, strikingly talented composers we have ever encountered, anywhere.
He is a 'natural' composer, born to it, and his music pours out passionately and more or less continuously.
A true composer, someone sure to contribute significantly to this country's musical culture."

                 
Steven Stucky -
Pulitzer Prize Winner 2005
..
"... decisively gifted with a unique and individual voice. His self motivation is complete... he has assembled an astonishing catalogue of characteristic works all bristling with force, energy, as well as tender expressiveness."                                            Yehudi Wyner - Pulitzer Prize Winner 2006

  "Christopher Kaufman is one of the most talented composers I have ever taught... he is an exceptional talent in every way... he produces music at an almost alarming rate and most of it is awesomely good.."

                            Donald Erb -  former composer-in-residence, St. Louis and Dallas Symphonies, Prof. at Cleveland Institute of Music and others.


“... a remarkable talent... in the highest category...”
                         
Karel Husa - Pulitzer Prize Winner 1969

  "Kaufman is one of the most talented young composers - in the top 5 - I have encountered in over 25 years of college teaching!"
                 
Sydney Hodkinson - Prof. of Composition Emeritus, Eastman.

"... such musical talent as cannot be questioned!"                                                      Bernard Rands - Pulitzer Prize Winning composer and Prof.essor at many distinguished institutions worldwide.









CHRISTOPHER KAUFMAN       
Presented selections of his work twice at the United Nations for the Benefit events for the victims of the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.




NEWS   

CONTACT:   

phone: 631-332-9858

email: jmusic800@gmail.com

Agent: Jeffrey James

516 -586-3433

Selected Works

CONCERT MUSIC PLAYER

 
Above works are organized as follows:
• Orchestral Works
• Works for or featuring Solo Piano
• Works featuring Viola
• Vocal Works
• Works featuring Cello
• Alphabetical by title

Listen to RADIO SHOW:


*Press Highlighted Titles to read more about Works:                                                    

SELECTED COMMISSIONS:

HUDSON VALLEY MUSIC      

For Ensemble/Soloist and CDTape of Natural, Orchestral and Electronic Sounds and Projection of Visual Images.
Original version (for woodwind quintet) commissioned by Barabara Oldham of/and premiered by Quintet of the Americas (14 performances Spring of 2010).
Hudson Valley Music Six Players Premiered by Ensemble Pi - 3/19/11. (First 'Redesign')
World Premiere of Hudson Valley Music for Solo Tuba by David Unland 3/22/11. Performances by Barbara Oldham (horn), Matt Sullivan (oboe) upcoming. Version for 4 - Players premiered by Society For New Music (7/22/11).

ISLAND ('Eeslahnd') - for orchestra and narrator, with poet Bill Holm and using 14 Icelandic Poems - by Daniel Rieppel, Marshall University, MN.
World Premiere, Marshall Univ. Orchestra, 11/'01 - Daniel Rieppel cond.
Recreation to be premiered in Iceland next season (cond. Tristan Willems).

PICKLES AND THE JUNKMAN'S DAUGHTER - music theater/opera, with writer/director Dominick Rossetti - 2 performances at the United Nations and Film

MOMENTA - for solo piano - Daniel Rieppel

SIGNS OF HEAVEN - for soprano, organ and cello
- by St. Thomas Church, Ithaca, NY.

CANTO - for cello and piano - by the Presbyterian Church of Rome, NY

MADRIGAL IN SPRING - for piano trio the Ithaca Piano Trio

YOUNG MUSICIANS CYCLE - for cello ensemble and cello soloist
- by Sera Jane Smolen

INITIATIONS - for wind ensemble - by Mark Scatterday, Cornell Wind Ensemble

INTRO, THEME AND VARIATION - U. of San Juan in Puerto Rico

SYMPHONIC WAVES - for wind ens.
- by Roger Scott Heffington, Encore Summer Music

SELECTED WORKS FOR INDIVIDUALS:

MUSIC FROM EARTH - for alto saxophone soloist, eastern/western orchestra, electronic and natural sounds
- for Demetrius Spaneas........

About MUSIC FROM EARTH the composer writes:

..."Music From Earth represents a new evolution in my work in terms of how music is put together and presented. I came to computers recently and now am enjoying working with film artists and for those projects modern technology is paramount. It was with great pleasure that I discovered the possibilities for the combination of live and electronic music. I use my western orchestral sounds and electronic instruments in original ways born of my long experience with live music and orchestral composition. Add to these the eastern orchestra, electronic instruments and natural sounds and you have a very fulfilling orchestral ‘universe’.

...The resultant sound world and presentation is unique and versatile, infinitely diverse and able to monumentalize inspiration and compositional planning like nothing else I have ever before been able achieve. MUSIC FROM EARTH is often presented with lighting and visual projections of natural images - sometimes up close to seem as abstract images, sometimes of recognizable creatures or forms..."

RUNNINGMUSIC - for three trombones - for Haim Avitsur

MUSIC FOR SAXOPHONE - for Rita Lutz

RIEPPELMUSIC - for piano and chamber orchestra - for Daniel Rieppel

SHADES OF SOPHOCLES - for solo violin - Sophie Arbuckle

SONA #1 - for tuba and piano - for David Unland

VIBRANCY - for flute and tuba - Laura Campbell and David Unland

MOVEMENTS FOR CELLO - for Anne Grabe

FIBRAS DE LA OSCURIDAD Y LUCE SOLLOSANTE
- for dancer and chamber ens. - for Holly Lau

WAKEN - concerto for viola and piano/viola duo version, CHARACTERMUSIC - for viola and piano, SOLO VARIATIONS FOR VIOLA and MUSIC FOR VIOLA, STRINGS, PIANO AND PERCUSSION
- for George Rosenbaum

EXPANSE - for solo guitar and CUP OF FIRE - concerto for guitar
- for Robert Duggan

OTHER SIGNIFICANT WORKS:                           
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THE PHOENIX - full chamber ballet, VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER - full music theater production, THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY - for orchestra and electronics, BRASS QUINTET, TALES OF THE OCEAN CITY SUITE - orchestra and electronics, the 'young ulysses' series of orchestral works 'THE GARDENS OF LEMURIA, MYTHAGOS and ULYSSES AND THE SIRENS, CHIRON - chamber symphony, SPIRIT - for chamber orchestra,...AT THE GATES... - nine trombones, DIALOGUE OF STRUCTURES - for organ and trumpet, POEM CYCLE #3 - for soprano and piano, NOCTURNAL PHANTASY - for clarinet and piano, RING OF FIRE - for orchestra, MERCURY'S SHADOW - violin duo, IN MEMORIAM:WENDY MARANISS - solo piano, the music from 16 SHORTS, HERMANNESQUE and other film inspired music (refer film bio).

AWARDS AND SUPPORT:

M.J.F. Fund, The Saltonstall Foundation, CAP Individual Artists Award, UCC Council on the Arts, Sage Fellowship, SOS, Community Arts Partnership Grants, Meet the Composer Grants, Featured Artist Obama Music, Arts and Entertainment, private donations.

E D U C AT I O N
Cornell University - DMA • Ithaca College - MMA • The Cleveland Institute of Music - BMA • New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts - High School
Principal teachers - Pulitzer Prize Winners Karel Husa and Steven Stucky and Donald Erb, Eugene O’Brien, Sydney Hodkinson, Bert Braud.

SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCES AND OTHER EVENTS:

My music was featured at/by the UNITED NATIONS, ACA FESTIVAL OF AMERICAN MUSIC, the INTERNATIONALES MUSIKINSTITUT IN DARMSTADT, JUNE IN BUFFALO, the AMERICAN COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA readings, the ITHACA FESTIVAL, the NORTHEASTERN COMPOSERS CONFERENCE, the CHARLES IVES CENTER FOR AMERICAN MUSIC, ENCORE SUMMER MUSIC and EASTMAN'S MUSICA NOVA.

As FOUNDER/DIRECTOR of CHIRON PERFORMING ARTS for 14 years presented the work of hundreds of artists of all disciplines. CHIRON's schedule featured an annual festival of the arts and a series of chamber concerts. For a number of years we performed annually at the WBFO OPUS:Live Radio series in Buffalo, NY.

DEMETRIUS SPANEAS toured the Balkans, Russia and Europe with MUSIC FROM EARTH as a featured work.

I attended the MACDOWELL ARTS COLONY five times.

BRASS QUINTET was performed by BOMBASTIQ BRASS, WESTWIND BRASS and QUINTUS BRASSUS.

MERCURY'S SHADOW - was performed by violinists Monica Bauchwitz and William Hakim - CONCERTS IN THE HEIGHTS.

With violist George Rosenbaum formed 'The Rosenbaum/Kaufman Duo' and performed all over the United States - with a signature performance at the University of San Juan in Puerto Rico with composer/guitarist Javier De La Torre.

CARSON P. COOMAN performed DIALOGUE OF STRUCTURES at Harvard University.

Pianist JON LIECHTY performed my piano music in New York and Maine.

Conducted my orchestral music with the Long Beach Symphony.

MU LT I -ME D I A  P R E S E N TAT I O N
Music From Earth - Music (saxophone concerto) and Film Presentation - composer/director Christopher Kaufman. Presented by commissioning agent/performer (saxophonist) Demetrius Spaneas - Moscow, Athens, Riga, Tashkent, Dnepropetrovsk, Kyrgyzstan, St. Petersburg.
The Jaguar - CHIRON Arts Festival 11/04 - composer/founder/director - Christopher Kaufman, with Poet Robert Galvan and the CHIRON Ensemble.


T H E AT R I C A L  P R E S E N TAT I O N

Voyage of the Dawn Treader - composer/dir./script adapt Christopher Kaufman (ACS Comm. Prod)
That’s My Name, Rosie - actress/writer Anna Filameno, director/composer Christopher Kaufman - with Hank Roberts (cello improvisation) and Susan Roebuck (Dance). (CHIRON Arts Fest.’97)
42nd Street - music director/arranger/pianist Christopher Kaufman (ACS Comm. Prod. Co.)


ADDITIONAL
Kaufman Productions (film, documentary, commercial production, audio books) • Founder - CHIRON Performing Arts • in the past has served on the boards of the ACA and Society for New Music of Syracuse, NY, reviewer for the New Music Connoisseur • Music has been featured at festivals and venues such as Eastman’s Musica Nova, The Internationales Musikinstatut in Darmstadt, The American Composer’s Readings, Charles Ives, American Composer’s Alliance, June in Buffalo, Harvard University, the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan, The Schubert Trio and Concerts in the Heights • Kaufman works with Peter Nashel of Duotone Audio • His work is included in music libraries such as Music for Hollywood, 4-D Creative Media, Music outside the Box and Krystal/Chastin Music.

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