HIGHLIGHTS < The Phantastic Worlds of Christopher Kaufman

Recent News:

Hudson Valley Music Once again with Quintet of Americas! (September 17th) – and a new version just created for Triple Play! (t.b.a.)

Announcing new “Composer in Residency” with 9B9 – 2B&2C – The Ken Cro-Ken Foundation. What an honor! Many new projects in the offing. Thanks to impresario Matt Sullivan!

Happy to announce that I am in process with the amazing saxophonist Chad Smith – we are working on the new version of my work MUSIC FROM EARTH – originally written for Demetrious Spaneas who premiered it in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2007. Music From Earth is one of my first Environmental pieces and features hundreds of natural and orchestral sounds on the soundscape with which the Alto Sax performs – and video of natural and artistic images.

Happy to announce that The Mark Twain Middle School Band – led by Jason Luft will be joining me on my THE PHANTASTIC THEATER series – New Music And Art For People Of All Ages All At Once – Join us Sunday October 29th, 2023 – 2PM at The Mark O’Donnell Theater. Tickets :HERE:

Author Tours

I will be presenting my works, centering on my epic fantasy series, Tales Of The Ocean City:

UPCOMING! A new production of my Classical Music Play, DANCING NIGHT HAWK
Sunday, October 29th – The Mark O’Donnell Theater
“THE PHANTASTIC THEATER ’23”

Happy News!
The Brilliant Alexander Davis is on board as special guest artist for this event!
The Wizard Barzhoosh conjures a spell! (i.e. my adaptation of Donald Erb’s ‘Souvenir’)

COMPLETED TOUR with Quintet of the Americas!

I was honored to be included on the recent tour with the illustrious Quintet of the Americas. I participated in each event as composer/conductor/reader in my work – Hudson Valley Music (commissioned by Q of A years ago). I set up my kit which includes a playback and projection system for the soundscape and video. The tour started on earth day, April 20th, and ended May 30th.

HVM is an ‘environmental piece’, the work delivers a powerful ecological message and includes, in addition to the live players, a soundscape I created from hundreds of natural sounds and video comprised of both natural images and the work of environmental artist, Ken Cro-Ken. Readings from John Muir and Chief Seattle are a part of the new design.

Since the original tour in 2010, I have redesigned HVM for many soloists and ensembles, including full orchestra when I was featured composer with the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra a few years back.

There is a recent film with live materials from the 2010 at the NYU Loewe Theater in the side bar (or scroll below if on mobile). A new film created from the materials from these events is on the way!

THE TOUR – Celebration of the Earth
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 5:30PM, Queens Public Library Rego Park Branch
A Program Celebrating Earth Day
Saturday, April 22, at 4:00 PM, Gallery 9B9 – The Ken Kro-Ken Memorial Foundation
Onwards! – Celebration of the Earth
Thursday, April 27, at 10-11am, Bayside Senior Center
Thursday, April 27, at 6pm, Queens Public Library at Hunters Point
Thursday May 18, at 11am, Alzheimer’s Adult Day Program
Thursday, May 18, 1:30-2:30pm, Hillcrest Older Adult Center, Jamaica, NY
Saturday, May 20, at 3pm, Queens Public Library Jackson Heights
Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 3pm, Queens Botanical Garden
Tuesday, May 23, at 7 PM, National Opera Center (Scorca)
Tuesday, May 30, at 5:30pm, Queens Public Library Flushing
TOUR COMPLETE!

Not long ago, I attended a concert by Quintet of the Americas and wrote up a review of the concert; HERE.

I am happy to announce that on May 5th, 2023, I led a performance of my symphonic tone poem, ÍSLAND (Iceland – pron: ‘Eeslahnd’), with the Southwest Minnesota Symphony – Anna Sigga traveled from Iceland and performed the narration. The work is dedicated to Icelandic Poet Bill Holm – who narrated the original in 2001 and composed a poem for the work, Embarkation (below).

The Audience and Musicians reacted very positively to the music and my direction. I will have quotes up soon, comments were: “Island is transformative”, “Thank you for coming here to give us this experience”, “Everything made perfect sense to me as you conducted it”, and many more comments of this nature.

EMBARKATION
From the sea west of Sneafellsjokull on a cloudless day in summer.
Erik and Leifur saw a line of Ice with Mountains rising up behind it. Before them the silver spouting
of the whales ploughing their road Through the ship’s wake
and the circling ravens to point Them over the deep swells of the sea Heaving under the dragon’s prow…

I am happy to share that my Duo for two violins – Mercury’s Shadow – was performed via the New York Composer’s Circle – April 13, 2023 (Church of the Transfiguration, NYC) by
members of the Bergamot Quartet – Sarah Thomas and Ledah Finck.

A good day – October 30th, 2022. While the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra Performed my orchestra piece – SPIRIT – I was presenting – at the Mark O’Donnell Theater – a performance of the new production of my ‘classical music play’ – The Phantastic Zoo — on my series for “people of all ages all at once”, The Phantastic Theater. Press pic for film of performance. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel once there.

With the New York Composer’s Circle I had a performance last year of my piano clarinet piece, Nocturnal Phantasy, by the brilliant pianist – Craig Ketter and his son Daniel.

Last October I premiered my new String Quartet – ‘The Freedom” – super-charged music and excellent performance by The Momenta Quartet – dedicated to my mother, actress Anna Filameno, and concerning the election of 2016: Press picture to hear/see a movie I made of the performance.

In 2021 I decided it was time to finish the first series in my work of epic fantasy, Tales Of The Ocean City – so I wrote three books in one year – books 3,4,5 — and completed the opening series. I recently published book 6 and am presently writing book 7. Some of these works include hours long audio albums filled with full symphonic music and dramatic narration.

Author Page :HERE: Join my Fantasy Blog :HERE:

Doctor Kaufman’s Music Lab – January 2020 I created a wonderful event held at The Brooklyn Museum of Art – for which I received a grant from Humanities New York – There is a film of it in the side bar. It features the work of my students in the Ruth Bader Ginsberg wing of the Library.

For many activities go to CHIRON PERFORMING ARTS and THE PHANTASTIC THEATER. Visit my YOUTUBE CHANNEL – SOUNDARTUS

RESUME

HIGHLIGHTS THROUGH THE AGES

Various Highlights from CHIRON Performing Arts and The Phantastic Theater (not mentioned above)

CHIRON ’21 – The Mark O’Donnell Theater – World Premiere of my String Quartet

CHIRON ’20 (just before Pandemic) – featuring The Music Of Eugene O’Brien

The Phantastic Theater ’21 – featuring my Halloween Themed Movie

CHIRON Festival of the Arts and Environment ’18

Spring of ’19 my Daughter Sofia and I performed my The Musical Forest with the Southwest Minnesota Symphony

CHIRON Festival of the Arts and Environment ’17

As Director of CHIRON Performing Arts I have presented hundreds of artists of all disciplines. :CONCERT LIST: (from earlier times)

Classical Music Plays

I’ve created a unique form which combines full symphonic music pouring through speakers, illustrative visual art on screen, live players, actors, narration, some song, puppetry and epic imaginative storytelling. I call them ‘Classical Music Plays’ – the music is paramount. They are like ‘Peter and the Wolf on steroids’. My daughter Sofia has performed the starring role on many occasions.

The Musical Forest (2015) – this work teaches music fundamentals within the context of imaginative fantasy storytelling. We have presented this work as a workshop, numerous chamber events and with full orchestra.

Dancing Night Hawk (2018) – inspired by Native American lore, a young girl saves her village from the Ma’ha’kuk Demon lords and ascends to become the village medicine woman like her grandmother was.

The Talisman of Ahau-Kin (film) (2019) – a young girl saves Earth from environmental disaster.

The Phantastic Zoo (2016-2022) – young Mary and Tim visit The Phantastic Zoo and hear the stories of fabulous creatures. “A warm-hearted, encouraging book about the wonders of imagination” – Kirkus Reviews.

These works are also physical books and audio albums. :HERE:

Promoted to level of Artist Producer in the Manhattan Producer’s Alliance Organization!

The Manhattan Producers Alliance is a media education, professional mentoring and networking community comprised of Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Emmy award-winning musicians. We are dedicated to advancing the art of music composition, performance and recording. With the help and support of our members, we create unique professional development trainings for the music industry, as well as educational music/music technology initiatives for kids K-12.

The New York Premier of MUSIC FROM EARTH was performed at Zirzamin by DEMETRIUS SPANEAS
April 24th, 2013 as part of the Manhattan Producer’s Alliance ‘Live Music Showcase’

I gave a reading of my TALES OF THE OCEAN CITY – AES Conference – Javits Center – and participated on a panel discussion about creating art in the modern world.

TAKA KIGAWA
Performed my IN MEMORIAM:WENDY MARANISS for solo piano (here) on the ‘Social Networking Concert Event’ founded by the late Douglas Townsend – and now kept going by his wife Jean. The concert was: – April 23rd, 2013 at Saint Peter’s Church.

‘Tales Of The Ocean City’
Kaufman is presently creating new chapters in his prodigious Epic Fantasy Series for multimedia Ebook – ‘Tales Of The Ocean City‘.
TOC is available: HERE:
Kaufman was writing stories since he was five years old and is enjoying this method of storytelling which puts together thrilling adventure story, dramatic narration and continuous cinematographic music – where the music is an equal partner and participates in the syntax of the writing. The work is presented in ‘episodic form’.
At present Kaufman has about two hours of vivid and exciting material. By the end of 2013 the ‘overall first volume’ of ‘Tales Of The Ocean City’ will be complete – and over six hours in length. Kaufman is using the internet social streams, app process, radio and, later, live performances to move this project forward.

In 2011 Kaufman Completed Three Works for Orchestra:

Visit their project pages by pressing titles: MYTHAGOS – SPIRIT * – and ISLAND (‘Eeslahnd’)

*Recently Perofmed Twice April 2012 and again October 30th 2022: The Southwest Minnesota Orchestra under the direction of Daniel Rieppel.

In the mid-late 2000’s I worked with writer/director Dominick Rossetti. We created together a dramatic operatic show titled “Pickles and The Junkman’s Daughter” – featuring a cast of talented young people. We presented major showcases at The United Nations on two occasions, i.e. after the Tsunami in the Indonesia and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. During the first, my fiancé at the time, now my wife Maryclare – sat next to Kofi Anan (who enjoyed the music). One of our cast members played Nala in The Lion King on broadway. Our performance was placed just in front of The Lion King performers which gave us excellent notice.

Christopher Kaufman’s HUDSON VALLEY MUSIC – IN PERFORMANCE: Presented by;

November 18th, 2011

Kaufman enjoyed speaking about his work at Queens College (9/27/11) at a composers seminar held under the auspices of Professor Hubert Howe.

Kaufman spoke about his environmental pieces and played a few small films to the delight of the participants.

ASCAPLus Award Recipient!

This award recognizes composers whose performances are primarily in venues not surveyed by ASCAP; and/or writer members whose catalogs have prestige value for which they would not otherwise be compensated.
This award is a wonderful opportunity for those of us who work in contemporary music genres that have many of our performances in alternative spaces, and countries that are not surveyed by ASCAP or may not follow international copyright law.

Kaufman is most grateful to receive this honor and thanks ASCAP and the Concert Division Board for recognizing his work.

Christopher Kaufman’s HUDSON VALLEY MUSIC – IN PERFORMANCE: Presented by;

Friday, July 22, 8:00 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church, 27 Albany St., Cazenovia: info HERE:

Read Melinda Johnson’s Article about this performance in the Syracuse Post-Standard :HERE:

PROJECT PAGE FOR HVM :HERE:

More Christopher Kaufman’s HUDSON VALLEY MUSIC PERFORMANCES:

Tuesday March 22nd, 2011 tubist Dave Unland premiered the solo tuba version of Hudson Valley Music at Ithaca College (Hockett Hall)

The version of ‘Hudson Valley Music’ designed for Ensemble Pi – was performed in the Great Hall of Cooper Union – 3/19/2011

In advance of the performance Kaufman participated on 2 radio shows: WKCR Columbia University Radio on March 15 (89.9 FM) and March 14th WBAI (99.5 FM) – about HVM and other topics.

Summer of 2012 Kaufman completed a work for Violin and Piano titled OCEAN in which he applies ideas from HVM into a traditional chamber music context – turning, for example, whale-song into themes and motives. Like HVM the music of OCEAN expresses the beauty of and identification with nature and ‘Outrage’ – here in the movement ‘Oil in the Water’. PROJECT PAGE :HERE:

Here is a shot from the final performance of the opening tour of ‘Hudson Valley Music’ with Quintet of the Americas – at NYU’s Frederick Loewe Theater: in the foreground you see artist Ken-Cro-Ken enacting a live painting as part of the performance:

HVM was Commissioned by Barbara Oldham

and Premiered by Quintet of the Americas

Christopher Kaufman’s HUDSON VALLEY MUSIC features a CDTape composed of hundreds of natural sounds from the Hudson Valley Environment and compelling visuals comprised of natural imagery and the art of Ken-Cro-Ken and Alice Cotton.

The initial season was presented in concert with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s ‘Mannahatta Project‘.

..Dr. Eric Sanderson spoke after some of the performances.

HUDSON VALLEY MUSIC celebrates the beauty and nature of the Hudson Valley as well as delivering a message concerning environmental preservation. PRESS for more information.

• LITTLE COURAGE (Independent Film) – screened at the The New York International Latino Film festival: Now being screened at similar events around the country.

LITTLE COURAGE
Clearview Cinemas Chelsea Screen 8, 12:00 PM Sat, Aug 01
W 23rd St & 8th Ave, New York, NY

LITTLE COURAGE
SVA Theater Screen 1, 3:00 PM Fri, Jul 31
23rd Street Bet. 8th and 9th Ave., New York, NY

• LITTLE COURAGE was also recently screened at the Lower East Side Arts Festival.

Bombastiq Brass performed my ‘Theme and Variations on a Tune by T.’Fats’ Waller’ – from BRASS QUINTET – :HERE:

Christopher Kaufman at Carnegie Hall:

On 1/31/09 I delivered a speech representing OBAMA Music, Arts and Entertainment. The brilliant New York Empire Trio, of the Bulgarian Virtuosi, performed. Their concert included a work by Bulgarian composer Roumi Petrova which I also introduced. I spoke about ObamaMae, the founder Marla Turner, of my experiences with ObamaMae and the participation of myself and other artists in Barack Obama’s successful Presidential Campaign.

“Mark Sutton is the host and producer of Liberal Arts, the radio show that explores the arts from an unapologetically political perspective.”

INTERVIEW

I was interviewed by Mark Sutton on his show the week of October 20, 2008. Feel free to visit the link and listen to the interview – you also hear the full interview above – which includes my setting of Barack Obama’s North Carolina Victory Speech and our discussion of political action. You can also hear the featured work CALL FOR CHANGE – Victory N.C. on the music player above. Also you can listen to Mark’s interview (on his site) with Marla Turner who founded the site Obama Music Arts and Entertainment where I was FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH (August):: and where you can find my member page and download politically inspired music. All thanks to Mark and Marla! – two very impressive individuals.

Won the LOFTCITY VIRAL AD *AWARD – with writer/director Julian Overall.

Scored the film AZREAL with Italian director Eliana De Paolis. Completed full sound design for film ‘THE LAST SON…’ with Indian writer/director Varun Shah.

My music has been used for the Wall Street Journal ‘Foward Thinking’ campaign viewable here:Forward Thinking and ‘J.D.Robb Salvation’ for cable tv with Peter Cascone (4-D Creative Media).

Demetrius Spaneas – composer for film and concert stage / virtuoso performer (saxophone, clarinet, flute) – world traveling new music champion – read more about him and listen to his music by visiting his site.

MUSIC FROM EARTH: – for Alto Saxophone Soloist and Tape of Western/Eastern Orchestra, Electronic and Natural Sounds::

MUSIC FROM EARTH was composed during the last two weeks of August, 2007 for Saxophonist and New Music Champion Demetrius Spaneas. It is part of a series of works inspired by Environmental Awareness, the leadership of Al Gore and others, my own sense of these issues and my love of the sounds involved. Demetrius has premiered the work in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (11/7/7) and performed it at the DOM Cultural Center in Moscow. He continued to tour the work with a number of other pieces of American music (including his own) in locations such as Kyrgyzstan, the Ukraine, Bulgaria, St. Petersburg and Riga, Latvia. Now we will perform it in America. When possible the performances include a film of natural imagery. This film, which I created, uses microscopic images and images of familiar forms close up so as to appear abstract as well as recognizable natural images such as creatures and geographical forms.

PROJECT PAGE FOR MUSIC FROM EARTH :HERE:

Various Credits:
Awards and Grants from Meet The Composer, MFJ, CAP and UCC Council on the Arts, Saltonstall Foundation, NYC Cultural Program • Fellow 5 times at the MacDowell ArtsColony • American Composers Orchestra Readings • previous board member of the ACA and Society for New Music • Individual Artists Award Ithaca New York • Reviewed for the New Music Connoisseur • Music has been featured at festivals and venues such as Eastman’s Musica Nova, The Internationales Musikinstatut in Darmstadt, Charles Ives Center for American Music, American Composer’s Alliance, June in Buffalo, Harvard University, the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan, The United Nations and Concerts in the Heights among many others • the SageFellowship (Cornell Univ.) • Kaufman is a friend of New York-based Duotone Studios.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM EARLY 2000’s

> Kaufman’s work with young people and theater project — the musical opera ‘Pickles and the Junkman’s Daughter‘. Kaufman with writer/director Dominick Rossetti. Showcase performances at the United Nations as participants in the Tsunami Relief Benefit event and Katrina Relief events,

> Completed ‘The Gardens of Lemuria‘ – for orchestra, ‘Spirit’ and ‘Mythagos’ for orchestra..

> Mercury’s Shadow – for two violins was performed brilliantly by Monica Bauchwitz and William Hakim. Ms. Bauchwitz’ presented the work on her series ‘Concerts in the Heights’ — Friday, March 10th in NYC.

> Completed Runningmusic for trombonists Haim Azitsur, Dave Taylor and Nitzan Haroz (prin. of Phil. Orch).

> Completed music for hour- long first act of musical/opera Pickles and the Junkman’s Daughterpwhich will be ready as a film in early to mid September.

> Presented – as conductor/composer/arranger of the Long Beach Chamber Symphony his works: ‘Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ for piano and orchestra, songs from ‘Pickles’ Angel Fish, Quiet Heart and One, Day One, Night – with JessAnn Smith singing. – with Susan James and the Long Beach Arts Council.

> Orchestra piece ISLAND was performed five times as part of the Vahktang Jordania Conducting Competition in Karpov, Ukraine.

> CHIRON Performing Arts Events :HERE:

> CHIRON Performing Arts -04 festival event his Madrigal in Spring was presented along with his new JAGUAR for poet and ensemble.

> Organist/ Composer Carson P. Cooman recently led a performance of Dialogue of Structures – for organ and trumpet at Harvard University.

> (11/9/03) presented CHIRON Performing Arts Event featuring his THE PHOENIX for ensemble and dance: which is dedicated to the City of New York, his …At the Gates… for 9 trombones and BRASS QUINTET – performed by Bombastiq Brass.

> His Madrigal in Spring – for piano trio was performed at the American Composers’ Alliance Festival June 2003. Composer on piano.

> Brass Quintet was performed by the Westwind Brass at the San Diego Museum of Art, May 2003 and Bombastiq Brass in June.

> PRESENTED CHIRON Performing Arts ’04 season which featured the music of Kaufman, John Eaton, Robert Dick, Javier de la Torre and Ginestera – the pianting/sculpture of Argentinian master Raul Conti and much more.
> ISLAND – (‘Eeslahnd’) for orchestra and Narrator was commissioned and premiered by the Southwestern Minnesota Orchestra

With the great George Rosenbaum – The Rosenbaum/Kaufman Duo — concert tours from 1987-1991 – Culminating University of Puerto Rico in San Juan