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Christopher Culpo has composed for the dance, theatre, music-theatre, and concert stages, and is an active jazz composer and performer. He has received awards from the Massachusetts Arts Lottery, the New York State Council of the Arts, Harvest Works, ASCAP, Centre Acanthes, Annette Kade Foundation, Fulbright Commission, and the French Department of Culture.
Since receiving a Fulbright scholarship to work with Tristan Murail in Paris in 1991, Mr. Culpo has been active in Europe. From 1992-94 he has worked in an electronic music studio of the Institut National de L’audiovisuel Groupe de Recherche sur la Musique, and was invited to present his works, both jazz and contemporary, at the Espace Kiron Festival of New Music in Paris. His chamber opera Il Ventesimo Secolo was premiered at Teatro Dell’Angelo in Rome in May of 1995, and his Woodwind Quintet recorded by the Quintet of the Americas on the CRI label. In August of 1999 his musical Believe was premiered at the Man In The Moon Theatre in London. In November 2000 his trio ENFIN, PRÉLUDE DE L'APPRÉHENSION, for flute, horn, & piano was premiered in Paris by members of the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, and in December 2000 THE GAME OF THE SEA GODDESS, for mezzo soprano, cello and percussion was premiered by the Ensemble Aleph. His solo piano miniature SPANGLES, part of a collection of 60 piano miniatures titled DON'T PANIC, SIXTY SECONDS FOR PIANO was recently recorded by Guy Livingston and released by Wergo Records.
In September 2002 his composition VARIATIONS ALLER RETOUR was premiered in Morat (Switzerland) as part of EXPO 02, and in October 2002 a Radio France commission, EMILYGRAMS, settings of poems by Emily Dickinson for soprano and seven instruments was broadcast. The Longwood Symphony premiered his orchestral composition CHEMINS REBROUSSÉS in March 2003 in Jordan Hall, Boston, and in August 2003 in Salzburg, the Koehne Quartet premiered his string quartet CANTI RITMITCI. In September 2003 the Franco American Chamber Ensemble premiered 3 VISAGES for string orchestra in Villecroze.
In 2003 Mr Culpo released the album "Portrait in Black and White" with saxophonist Jean Charles Richard. He also performs regularly in trio with Mr. Richard and bassist Peter Herbert and with bassist Piero Leveratto.
Contrabass - PETER HERBERT
Bassist Peter Herbert maintains a busy schedule, averaging annually 100 concerts throughout the world. Trained as a classical pianist and bassist, after years of playing successful 'main stream' jazz activities, he is now asserting his personal voice in the field of improvised music. Recent activities include solo concerts, in New York (Glassfarm) London (The Vortex), Oman, Jerusalem, Vienna (Porgy&Bess), his new CD bassooka - music for basses, and a focus on small ensembles like his duos with pianist Peter Madsen, with David Tronzo or Franz Hautzinger (quarter tone trumpet) and his trio with pianist/composer Christopher Culpo and saxophonist Jean-Charles Richard. He is also involved in Arabic music with artists like oud-master Marcel Khalife or Simon Shaheen, Youssef el Idrissi.
Herbert is a prolific and versatile composer, often receiving commissions from European orchestras and ensembles. He has written for orchestras, choirs and chamber groups, and designed experimental movie soundtracks and incidental music for European avant-garde theatre groups.
As a Jazz musician, he has worked with many artists and with groups such as the John Abercrombie/Marc Copland Quartet, Bobby Previte's "The Horse", Vienna Art Orchestra, John Clark Octet, Art Farmer and Woody Shaw. His work has been documented on over 70 recordings. Herbert was recently awarded the Hans Koller-prize as 'Musician of the Year'. Chosen by jury, this prize is given to a person, who has had " a long-term and significant impact on the Austrian music scene ". In 1999 he established his own internet-based label Aziza Music.
Saxophone - Jean-Charles RICHARD
Soprano and baritone saxophonist Jean Charles Richard has earned. His theatre projects include five years with the saxophone quartet DéSAXéS (1995-2000) and current projects with singer/songwriter Christophe Bonzom, and with the Jerome Thomas Dance Company, collaborating with composer Guy Klucevsek.
Jean Charles Richard has studied with Steve Lacy and Dave Liebman in addition to earning both a First Prize (unanimous) in classical saxophone and an Advanced Diploma from the Jazz Department of the National Conservatory in Paris. He has been active in different musical and theatrical projects: symphony orchestras (L'orchestre de Paris, L'orchestre du Theâtre de Dijon), big bands (George Russell, Yochko Seffer, Antoine Hervé), the saxophone quartet DéSAXéS, and with singer/songwriter Christophe Bonzom.
Currently Mr. Richard is featured in the Brunt'off Quintet, the Azar, Quartet Orientable (an Arab influenced jazz quartet) and "La Bête a bon dos", an improvising Fanfare orchestra. Since 2001 has been a part of the Jerome Thomas Company, perfroming the show "Cirque Lili", with juggler Jérôme Thomas and accordionist Jean-François Baez, (music by Guy Klucevseks)
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