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Short Bio — Medium Bio — History Chris Chalfant Chris Chalfant is a prolific composer and pianist. Chalfant has performed solo for Czech Republic National Radio at the Prague Jazzoveho Mezinarodni Piana. She co-led the Lifetime Visions Orchestra with Joseph Jarman. Her collection of 129 musical scores "Book of Unstandards" shows her range of style, showing elements of Charles Ives, traditional African, Stravinsky, Buddhist chant, Thelonious Monk, Cecil Taylor and others. Her upcoming recording, also named "Book of Unstandards" has such luminary artists as Connie Crothers, Pauline Oliveros, Joseph Kubera, Thomas Buckner, Bobby Few and Joseph Jarman on it. She received her Masters in Music from New England Conservatory where she studied with George Russell and Ran Blake. Chris Chalfant, born September 10, 1960, OH; Noted for her unique style as an artist, Chris Chalfant is a lyrical, rhythmically compelling, and powerful, innovative driving force in the world of jazz, new and improvised music. Her prolific output of composition and improvisation (over 400 works) draws largely from traditional music of Africa, Hungary and India , as well as from American folk music, jazz and classical music. She has been compared to Andrew Hill, Charles Ives, Mal Waldron, Cecil Taylor, Stravinsky, Don Pullen, Keith Jarrett, Webern, Meredith Monk, Thelonious Monk and a Buddhist monk. She draws from nature, poetry and dance with a strong sense of counterpoint and polyrhythm, resulting in unique phrasing, tonal structures and rhythmic layerings. Her work is both simple and complex at the same time, where she will take a simple children’s tune and create an expressionist multi-tonal, multi-rhythmic contrapuntal composition or improvisation. Chalfant has a strong melodic sense as well as a feeling of tranquility in much of her work. Her keen sense of moment-to-moment movement in her composition and improvisation is supported by her training in Buddhism and Aikido, where “living under the blade” results in unshakable fearlessness, confidence and a path of truth. “Like every important composer in jazz and the classical world, Chalfant has tapped into the essence of song, which never lets the actual composition get in the way of the music.” – JazzImprov Magazine. Chalfant’s recent project, “Book of Unstandards”, a collection of 129 of her shorter musical scores shows the breadth of work of this inventive and dynamic composer. Chris Chalfant is from Akron , Ohio and has been living
in New York since 1993. She studied intensive music, theater, dance and
art throughout her younger years. Chalfant began composing in 1975 and
has had hundreds of performances and numerous recordings of her works.
She has won several awards for her composing. Chris Chalfant has studied
with Maragret Baxtresser and Halim El-Dabh (BA in Music , Kent State),
George Russell and Ran Blake, (MM, New England Conservatory) and Connie
Crothers. She was in residence at the Atlantic Center in Florida with
Joan LaBarbara and Morton Subotnic. Her studies in Aikido and Buddhism
with Joseph Jarman have contributed greatly to her work as an artist. Chris Chalfant also has spent thirty years creating, producing and participating in special events such as the Come-and-Do-It-To-It Festival, Sonic Meditations Retreat, Festival of Women Improvisors, and the American Women Composers Marathon. Chris Chalfant has taught piano, ear training and Dalcroze since 1984. She taught music theory and “Discovering Improvisation”, at the New England Conservatory Preparatory Department. Her unique style of teaching combines concepts from Western European, Indian and African music and dance. Chalfant’s books include “Listening Along the Path”, “First Performances”, and “Songs for Children.” Chris Chalfant, born September 10, 1960, Akron, OH; Composer, director, pianist, vocalist, artist, author, and poet; Noted for her unique style as a creative artist, Chris Chalfant is a lyrical, rhythmically compelling, and powerful, innovative driving force in the world of jazz, new and improvised music. Her prolific output of composition and improvisation (over 400 works) draws largely from traditional music of Africa, Hungary and India, as well as from American folk music, jazz and classical music. Critics have compared her music and playing to a wide range of artists: Andrew Hill, Charles Ives, McCoy Tyner, Mal Waldron, Cecil Taylor, Bud Powell, Stravinsky, Don Pullen, Keith Jarrett, Webern, Meredith Monk, Thelonious Monk and a Buddhist monk. She draws from nature, poetry and dance with a strong sense of counterpoint and polyrhythm, resulting in non-ordinary phrasings, tonal structures and rhythmic layerings. Her work is both simple and complex at the same time, where she will take a simple children’s tune and create an expressionistic multi-tonal, multi-rhythmic contrapuntal composition or improvisation. Chalfant has a strong melodic sense as well as a feeling of tranquility in much of her work. Her keen sense of moment-to-moment movement in her composition and improvisation is supported by her training in Buddhism and Aikido, where “living under the blade” results in an unshakable fearlessness, confidence and a path of truth.Early years: Rankin Elementary; Ballet, theater, piano, guitar, singing, art,
sports; Gold cup winner of Horse Show, 1967; Winner, Hat Contest, Hat Parade
leader, circa 1968, Shaker Day Camp; Perkins Jr. High School; Line Drawing piece
in Akron city-wide Art Show; First significant art piece: “Batik I”,
circa 1973; First composition at age 14; First musical: “The Belle of the
West” circa 1974; Piano with Nicholas Constantinidis 1974-1978; Central-Hower
High School Performing Arts Program; Only high school student to take Akron
University theory class; Eulalie McKecknie Shinn in “The Music Man”;
Fruma Sarah in “Fiddler on the Roof”; Chosen by the Akron Art Museum
to co-curate the “Come-and-do-it-to-it Festival” (named by Chalfant)
circa 1976; Created “Batik II” circa 1976; Won second prize in the Akron
Scholastic Composers Contest for “Throughout Your Life” (SATB) 1976;
“Villain and the Lady”(piano) 1977; “At Day’s End” (SATB) sung
by school madrigals at high school baccalaureate 1978; Accompanist for high
school choir and orchestra; Five awards for singing solo and ensemble; Soloist
with Central-Hower choir for “Mary Had a Baby”; High school senior piano
recital at Akron Art Museum. Homecoming court 1976, 1977. Moved to Boston August, 1983; Ballet Accompanist for Boston Ballet class, Violet
Verdi, Director, early 1980’s; Artist model mid 80’s to early 90’s; Began teaching
private piano 1984; Eurhythmics with Lisa Parker and Anne Farber at Longy 1983-1986;
Poetry, performance art and theater 1983-1986; Created “Sound-movement-poetry”
style of performance (balance of three forms) in mid-1980’s; Regina in Ibsen’s
“Ghosts” with Theater S. circa 1984; First performance in New York at
Emily Glen’s poetry event, Barrow St; Other performances at Speakeasy, WBAI
in same period; “Uses of a Candlestick”(multi-media) 1986 at Eventworks
Festival; Played piano for dancers and created “Translation of a Fire”and
“Saturday Night Under the Piano”at Noyes School of Rhythm, Portland,
CT; Performed “At the Dining Room Table” performance art piece at Mobius
1985; Played and created structured improvisations with the Longy Improvisation
Ensemble circa 1986-1992; Met Meredith Monk 1986; First experience in meditation
and music in Deep Listening Workshop with Pauline Oliveros 1986.
First Piano concert in New York at Femme de Piano Festival 1992; “Guitar
Suite” performed same night at Jordon Hall, Boston; Duo concert at NEC with
Malcolm Goldstein 1992; Modern Dance accompanist for Harvard, Clare Malardy,
instructor, 1992; Recorded “New’d Music” with Dennis Warren at Strobe-Light
Sound Studios in New York November, 1992. Left Boston December 1992. Visited
family Christmas 1992; Fulfilled residency with Joan LaBarbara and Morton Subotnick
at Atlantic Center January, 1993.
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