631-332-9858 • email: jmusic800@gmail.com
Agent: Jeffrey James • . 516 -586-3433

"...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. He is also, I am proud to say, absolutely untouched by careerism, opportunism, fashion, and the lust for publicity... a true composer, someone sure to contribute significantly to this country's musical culture."
..........................................................Steven Stucky - Pulitzer Prize Winner 2005

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.

 

"... 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

*Press Highlighted Titles to read more about Works:

COMMISSIONS:

HUDSON VALLEY QUINTET- for Woodwind Quintet, CDTape of Natural, Orchestral and Electrnic Sounds and Projection of Visual Images. Commissioned by Quintet of the Americas.

ISLAND ('Eeslahnd') - for orchestra and narrator, with poet Bill Holm and using 14 Icelandic Poems - by Daniel Rieppel, Marshall University, MN ................. ............. ......... ....... ..... 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 ..............

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 ensemble - 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:

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).

 

“... 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.

"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.

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.

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 recently 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.

 

Here you can see my FILM MUSIC BIO.

 

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

 

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.

......Christopher Kaufman - Concert Music / Film Composer / Sound Design