The Books of Coincidence

The project is based on a 59 page artist book filled with painting, collage, drawing, and an epic poem by South African artist/poet Anne Graaff.  To this artwaork a piece for piano incorporating live signal processing via computer has been composed.

The music of Christopher Culpo is not easily categorized and ranges through the world of clubs and concert halls, and theater and dance. As a performer on piano and composer across genres, Culpo lies at the confluence of contemporary jazz, free improvisation, and classical music.

The music of Christopher Culpo and Catherine Sikora has been described as open and responsive, with their musical lines being cohesive and together yet springing into unexpected directions, diverging and then converging, filled with surprise and humor. In sum: free and fresh.

The Succi – Culpo Ensemble is centered around the composing of it’s co-leaders Christopher Culpo and Achille Succi.  Their works aim to move effortlessly between densely written, sparsely written, and freely improvised music. Every little phrase takes its shape within the musical dialogue.  The effect creates a shared storytelling that largely avoids the melodic language and narrative associated with contemporary jazz. Moods come and go, mix and mingle, creating a music which is manic, lyric, quixotic, comic, lethargic, majestic and giddy.  

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