Christopher Kaufman's work with young people has blossomed into a powerful new project. 'Pickles and the Junkman's Daughter', is a musical/opera with a wildly dramatic and passionate story. 'Pickles' is set in turn of the century New York and includes a backdrop of child labor factories, mystical fantasy, a strong element of romance and a series of varied and colorful characters. The music is powerful and modern and rides the line between musical and opera.

On March 4th, 2005 a showcase was presented at the United Nations as part of the Tsunami Relief Benefit Event. We received a very positive audience response. The Secretary General was present. Visit http://www.wildflowersthemusical.com to see a video presentation of this event - press on the big pickle. The first act will be filmed and on-line this summer and the entire show will be up next fall. Kaufman is working with writer/director filmmaker Dominick Rossetti on this and other projects. Visit www.rossettifilms.com.

The music of Christopher Kaufman has been or will be heard in a number of interesting and important venues in the U.S. and Europe.

His piano trio Madrigal in Spring was presented at the November 2004 CHIRON concert at The Flea Theater in Tribeca, New York City with the composer on piano, along with violinist Caroline Chin and cellist-Yun-Joo Na. The Schubert Trio will perform Madrigal in Spring next season. Last season CHIRON presented his chamber ballet The Phoenix which featured the flutist Robert Dick as soloist, his colorful Brass Quintet - performed here and at other locations by Bombastiq Brass, his Epitaph and a little Jazzmusic for piano and dancer and his ...At the Gates... for nine trombones.

CHIRON will be presenting more of Christopher Kaufman's music in a Summer 2005 performance at the beautiful new Yamaha Concert Salon, 689 5th Avenue (at 54th St.) in New York City. Date is TBD. Keep an eye on http://www.chkaufman.com/presenter.htm for details.

Pianist Daniel Rieppel is performing Kaufman's Momenta in Vienna and Salzburg this Summer.

Kaufman's Island for Orchestra has been selected as one of the contemporary compositions for the 2005 Vakhtang Jordania Conducting Competition, this coming September in Kharkov, Ukraine.

Here's a bit more about Christopher Kaufman. He has composed music for a wide variety of medium including orchestra, wind ensemble, dance, chamber groups, theater and solo works. His work has been featured at June in Buffalo, The Charles Ives Music Center, the NorthEastern Composer's Conference, Encore Summer Music, The Internationales Musikinstitut of Darmstadt, Germany and Eastman's Musica Nova. His Ring of Fire - for orchestra was featured at the American Composers Orchestra readings. He has been a fellow four times at the MacDowell Arts Colony.

He has received commissions including Island (the SW Minnesota Orchestra), Initiations - for wind ensemble (Brian Israel Fund), Canto - for cello and piano (Presbyterian Church of Rome, NY), Signs of Heaven - for cello, soprano and organ (St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Slaterville, NY), Symphonic Waves and Rhythmic Fanfares - for wind ensemble (Encore Summer Music). He has received support from the Margaret Fairbank Jory Copying Fund, Meet the Composer, UCC Council on the Arts, CAP, the CAP individual artists' award, as well as charitable donations from individuals in his community who support his work.

CHIRON Performing Arts is the performing arts organization that Christopher Kaufman founded in 1989 and through which he has presented the works of hundreds of artists of all disciplines. Visit http://www.chkaufman.com/presenter.htm

Last year (November 2004) CHIRON presented their second show in New York City at The Flea Theater. Art of the Americas: The Transforming Power of Imagination was a superbly diverse and powerful program. This show included Javier de la Torre's Soliloquio IV for solo viola, performed by George Rosenbaum, John Eaton's Sor Juana Songs, performed by the composer on piano with mezzo-soprano Jennifer Roderer, pianist Mirian Conti performing Alberto Ginastera's Suite de Danzas Criollas, and composer/ flutist Robert Dick performing his Eye in The Sky for amplified open-hole alto flute. The concert ended with Christopher Kaufman's atmospheric arrangement of music and poetry - 'Dance of the Jaguar', which was read by poet Robert Rene Galvan as the CHIRON ensemble performed largely improvised music. The ensemble included Robert Dick, percussionist Will Ryan, George Rosenbaum, bassist Lawrence Goldman and the composer on keyboards. The art of master painter/sculptor Raul Conti was on-stage throughout the concert and added greatly to the wonderful collaborative spirit of the entire event, which featured lighting design by Miranda Hardy and the work of recording engineer Ben Manly.

For more information about Christopher Kaufman this event and CHIRON Performing Arts, you can visit our webpage at http://www.chkaufman.com or contact Christopher Kaufman at ckaufman5@nyc.rr.com.