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Christian Contreras

A promising young musician that will make waves !

About Me

Born on February 6, 1990 at the Marbella neighborhood in Panama City near the Bridge of the Americas, Christian moved with his family to Europe when he was still a toddler.

Where he started showing his musical inclination at an early age, playing with his toy instruments and demonstrating a strong preference for Mozart than Looney Tunes.

When his family migrated to the United States back in 1998; when still struggling to adapt and to learn English, that he turned into music to ease his anxieties. Every day during school recess, he sat close to the music room to listen the band rehearse. One day, the Director asked him, if he wanted to join the band. So at the age of seven, under the guidance and support of Mr. Milton Williams†, Christian began to walk his musical path.

His ability with the Clarinet was immediately apparent and in few months he was already playing with the HS Band. He started to participate in the NYSMA Festival where he consistently obtain qualifying scores and performed every year until his HS graduation. He played 1st chair clarinet twice and 1st chair tenor sax once at the NYSMA Festivals, as well as 1st chair Clarinet in the All County Orchestra. His music proficiency has given him the opportunity to participate in both the All-State and the All-Eastern music festivals (events organized by MENC).

By 2000 he discovered that Jazz was his turf by the hand of pianist Sarina Bachleitner who runs a phenomenal Jazz Apprenticeship program in the city. Christian plays the Piano, Clarinet, Flute and the Saxes, although he confesses “my voice is the Tenor”.

During his short, not yet professional career, he has been part of the best Jazz Youth groups in NY and performed at such prestigious venues as the Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, Alice Tully Hall and Allen Room at Lincoln Center and clubs like Garage and the Jazz Standard.

He has had the opportunity to share the stage with Jazz luminaries as Frank Wess, Wycliffe Gordon, Steve Turre and Gerry Smulyan.

He owes great deal of his musical knowledge and technical ability to his various teachers and group directors who had help him through different stages of his ongoing development; among others we can mention: Milton Augustine Williams, Jr.†, Jerry Lucadamo, Bill Vollinger, Larry Cohen, Sarina Bachleitner, André Sweetman, Anthony Aibel, Patrick Forero, Gerry Malkin, Ianthia Calhoun, Delia Montenegro, Scott Castle, Marlene Rosenberg, Stella Tarcinis, Gary Smulyan, Dolores Bech, Ryan Keberle, Charlie Lagond, Chris Winans, David O'Rourke, Vincent de Larocca, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Cecil McBee, Dave Holland, Ken Schaphorst, Patience Higgins.