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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 draws largely from traditional music of Africa, Hungary and India, as well as American folk music, jazz and classical music. While 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, Ahmed Jamal, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Bartok, Hindemith, Don Pullen, Keith Jarrett, Webern, Meredith Monk, and Thelonious Monk, it is largely the root sources in common with this diverse roster of artists that leads to these assessments. Chris Chalfant 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.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; International Folk Dance performance circa.
1971; 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; Performed in first musical: "The Belle of the West" circa
1974; Piano with Nicholas Constantinidis 1974-1978; Central-Hower High School
Performing Arts Program; Eulalie McKecknie Shinn in "The Music Man"
1976; Fruma Sarah in "Fiddler on the Roof" 1977 ; Co-curated "Come-and-do-it-to-it
Festival" (interactive art exhibit) at Rolling Acres Mall, Akron, OH with
the Akron Art Museum and one representative from each high school in 1976; Created
"Batik II" circa 1976; Won second prize in the Akron Scholastic Composers
Contest for "Throughout Your Life" (SATB) 1976 and "Villain and
the Lady" (piano) 1977; Only student from Central-Hower to take Akron University
music theory class 1977-1978. Studied Bill Dobbins' "Evolutionary Etude"
and composed in the style of Bach for class; Chosen for High School Homecoming
Court 1976, 1977; Composed "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"; Performed "The Villain and the Lady"
and "Spring Breezes" in high school senior piano recital at Akron
Art Museum 1978. Moved to Boston August, 1983; Accompanied ballet and modern dance for Boston Conservatory, Boston University and others 1983-1986; Saw Japanese 7th Century Bugaku meditative dance and music concert at Boston Museum ca. 1984; Accompanied Boston Ballet class with Violet Verdy circa 1984; Regina in Ibsen's "Ghosts" with Theater S. circa 1984; First performance in New York at Emily Glen's poetry event, Barrow St 1984; Artist model mid 80's to early 90's at Cambridge Adult Education Center, Boston Museum School and private artists; Began private piano studio 1984; Eurhythmics with Lisa Parker and Anne Farber at Longy 1983-1986; Poetry and performance art 1983-1986; Poetry with Rain House (Living Theater) 1986; Created term "Sound-movement-poetry" (balance of three forms) in mid-80's; Solo performances at Charlie's Tap, Longy School in Canbridge, MA 1986. Dance/Music improvisation with Malcolm Goldstein, John Voigt with Jack Powers reading Antonine Artaud mid-80's; Live performance on Bob Fass' show on WBAI with Katie Redmond and Ricardo Frotta, circa 1986; "Uses of a Candlestick" (multi-media) 1986 at Eventworks Festival; Played piano for dancers including former Dennishawn and Isadora Duncan dancers at Noyes School of Rhythm, Portland, Ct. Created "Translation of a Fire" dance piece and performance art pieces "Saturday Night Under the Piano", and "At the Dining Room Table" at Noyes School of Rhythm, Portland, CT; Performed "Translation of a Fire" and "At the Dining Room Table" at Mobius in Boston 1985; Played and created structured improvisations with the Longy Improvisation Ensemble circa 1986-1992; Met Meredith Monk 1986; First experience in combining meditation and music in Deep Listening Workshop with Pauline Oliveros 1986. Masters in Music at New England Conservatory in 1988; Lydian Chromatic Concept with George Russell; Composition and jazz with William Thomas McKinley; Third Stream with Ran Blake; Indian Music with Abby Rabinowitz; Created independent study on Aeleatoric Music studying the works of Cage, Cowell, Nancarow, Berio and LaBarbara. Composed non-conventional pieces for course; Wrote first composition with improvisation "Dreams and Nightmares" for Jimmy Giuffre's Jazz Composers concert series at NEC 1986; Wrote "First Performances" collection of piano compositions for Masters Thesis 1987-1988. Entire book performed in special performance by NEC Prep Department students; Wrote and directed "Mulasto" for chamber-jazz ensemble at NEC 1987-1988; Performed "Variations" with Matt Maneri 1988 at American Women Composers Marathon in Boston. Theory professor at New England Conservatory Preparatory Dept. 1988-1992; Created and taught "Discovering Improvisation" for classical musicians at Longy School, NEC Preparatory Department, and NEC Extension Division; including Carol Proctor from Boston Symphony late 1980's to 1992. Producer for American Women Composers Marathon 1989, 1990. Performed "Portrait of Three Portraits" (now entitled "Portraits") and directed "Banana Mud" mini-musical written and performed by Chalfant's students for Marathon; Vice-President of American Women Composers, with Pozzi Escot, President, Boston 1990; Performed "Mulasto" in Composers Consortium event at Tufts University, Boston circa 1990. Created "Nude" drawing 1990; Composed "Ballade" and "Portraits" 1990; Merit Finalist for Louisville National Composers Competition 1990; "Music Theory Games" Workshop at MTNA Conference, Milwaukee 1990; First concert in Chicago, played with Mwata Bowden, Harrison Bankhead at Bop Shop; Interviewed and created song "Kiss of Mint" live for Cable TV at Bop Shop; 1990. Interviewed by Michelle Kinney for Ear Magazine 1990 resulting in first direct connection to the New York Downtown New Music and Improvisation scene in 1990. Met many notable artists with lasting influence including Steve Lacy, Sun Ra, Reggie Workman, Cecil Taylor, Joseph Jarman, Myra Melford, and Abdullah Ibrahim spring 1990; Recorded "Vitalité" 1990 (C. Chalfant Music); performed "Dreams and Nightmares" 1989 and "Variations" (chamber ensemble version) 1990 at Leukerbad International Composers Conference, Switzerland; Traveled through Europe Summer 1990; played with Ig Henneman in Amsterdam; Led Improvisation workshop and participated in Maqaam workshop with Willie Elias at Darmstadt 1990; Met Fernando Grillo and Barbara Monk Feldman at Darmstadt. Wrote "Chatelet" 1990 in Paris; Created Arrangement of "April in Paris" with Bobby Few using mix of classical and jazz symbols; wrote "Rue St. Denis" with Graham Haynes; which he recorded on "Nocturne Parisian", wrote "Guitar Suite" in Paris, Italy, Boston 1990; Wrote "Nordique" 1990 with many arrangements over the years. Studied briefly with Karl Berger 1990; Producer for Festival of Women Improvisors-Boston 1991, performing with Graham Haynes; Wrote "Umbrella Man" at Augie's in New York 1991 which was recorded on Bobby Few's solo recording "Mysteries"; Transcribed "Ballade" [improvisation for piano and bass] from session with Reggie Workman 1991; Arranged Reggie Workman's "Mother Courage" with him 1991. Panelist for "Beyond Categories: New Musics from the Bostons of the 20th Century" as part of the New Music Harvest Festival with Judith Tick, Marjorie Merriman, Bill Nowlin, Richard Pittman, Dennis Thurman and Peter Wolff circa 1992; First piano concert in New York at Femme de Piano Festival 1992 with Myra Melford, Amina Claudine-Myers, Marilyn Crispell, Nurit Tilles and Sarah Cahill; "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 (Martha Graham dancer) 1992; Recorded "New'd Music" with Dennis Warren at Strobe-Light Sound Studios in New York November, 1992. Left Boston December 1992. Visited family for Christmas 1992; Music residency with Joan LaBarbara and Morton Subotnick at Atlantic Center in Florida January, 1993. Moved to New York and began studies in Aikido and Budhhism at Brooklyn Buddhist Association Jikishinkan Dojo with Joseph Jarman in February, 1993. Recorded "Introspect" for solo voice and piano 1993 (C. Chalfant Music); Taught music and movement and composed for young children in various schools 1993-2001, including Mannes, Greenwich House, Brooklyn Conservatory; Father died March 1994; Performed solo piano days later at Stork Festival, NY 1994; Recorded "Where You At" for solo piano in 1994 (C. Chalfant Music). Began Chris Chalfant Trio with Ken Filiano and Ken Yamazaki 1995; Recorded "All in Good Time" with Chris Chalfant Trio plus Joseph Jarman (C. Chalfant Music) 1996; Created Dojo Band with Jarman, Rob Garcia, Jessica Jones, Tony Jones, Ken Filiano 1996; Recorded "Convergence" 1997 (C. Chalfant Music) with Wilber Morris, Calyer Duncan, Noah Howard; Married Andrew Nielson 1997. The Dojo Band performed "Heart Suite" and the Knitting Factory August 1999. Breast cancer January 2000; Composed, directed and performed for Joseph Jarman Ensemble (AKA Dojo Band) at Vision Festival 2000; Paternal grandmother died March 2001; Separated with husband followed by large creative output June 2001: Created Lifetime Visions Orchestra, created Sonic Meditations Retreat for the Brooklyn Buddhist Association combining Zen training and music, wrote "Email Express", "Who Got the Ki?", "The Bridge Listens Quietly", "Bye Bye Inner Dialogue", wrote many journal entries which became a large part of "Listening Along the Path" essays and poems, began studying complete "Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I" by Bach; Studied with Connie Crothers 2001-2004; Completed arrangement of "When a Song Comes to You" for LVO on September 11, 2001 at 12:30AM; Wrote "The Sun Shines Bright Always" on September 11, 2001 shortly after the second tower fell; Divorced 2002. Recorded "Love and Light" (Jyaku Sound) January 2002; Directed, composed and performed with LVO for Vision Festival and Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival 2002; Recorded "Vision Festival 2002" (Jyaku Sound) 2002 with LVO, including Jarman, Steve Bernstein, Tomas Ulrich, Mark Taylor, Thomas Buckner; Cataloged compositions and sketches summer 2003; Performed and recorded solo compositions for Czech Republic National Radio as part of the Jazzového Mezinárodní Piana (Prague) 2003; Compiled first draft of "Listening Along the Path"; Created sculptured painting series December 2004; Compiled first draft "Book of Unstandards" fall, 2005; Compiled "Songs for Children" 2005; Final draft "Book of Unstandards" edited by Charlie Harmon Spring 2006; Book party June 2006 with Connie Crothers, Thomas Buckner, Joseph Kubera, Pauline Oliveros, Judy Bady, Syd Smart, Glynis Lomon, Elyzabeth Meade; "Book of Unstandards" double CD (Jyaku Sound) 2006 with part of Book Party and live performances with Joseph Jarman, Bobby Few, The Dojo Band, The Chris Chalfant Trio; Mastectomy July 2006. Profile in "Encyclopedia of the 21st Century Vol I" 2007. Featured in "Who's Who in Jazz Cabaret and Entertainment" 2007; "JouJouka Series Group I" watercolor marker pieces created in February 2007. Composer-pianist in collage piece by Light Surgeons, presented on the side of London's Royal Festival Hall for its grand re-opening June 2007. Performed classical piano music and compositions from "Book of Unstandards" with dancers at Noyes School of Rhythm in Portland CT. Created Mnemonic palindrome poetic form 2007. Music Omi Fellow at Art Omi International August 2007 with artists from Poland, Germany, France, South Africa, Ireland, Japan, Australia and the U.S. Composer-pianist in film "True Fictions: Adventures in Storytelling" EMPAC commission by Light-Surgeons premiered September 2007, premiered in Troy, NY September 2007, opening in Manchester, England October 2007. Workshop leader for "Transformation Through Improvisation" at International Society of Improvised Music Conference 2007. Performance by Michael Braudy of "Indian Goddess" at U.S. Consulate and other areas in India. Feature article entitled "Nature of Mind" in flagship issue of "Acoustic Levitation" magazine spring 2008. Coached Raul Melo from the Metropolitan Opera for Anthony Davis's "Amistad". Upcoming projects: Improvisations orchestrated by Andreu Jacob, composer-arranger from Barcelona for new recording in 2008. Manuscripts with non-conventional notation in scholarly book "Notaions21" edited by Theresa Tisano from the American Musicological Society, release date spring 2008. Concert for same book at Chelsea Museum fall, 2008. "The Sun Shines Bright Always" essay, lyrics and recording with the Lifetime Visions Orchestra in 9/11 Book/CD Project published by Art for Healing New York release date 2008. Score created from performance of major piano piece "Ballade" from 1990 to be completed Spring 2008. Publication of "Listening Along the Path" poems and essays fall 2008. Feature article of the genesis of a creative idea in "Acoustic Levitation" Summer 2008. Interviewed for Princeton dissertation by Sarah Payden on esoteric music and Eastern spiritual systems, date of publication TBA. |
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