American Composers Forum

Charles Cacioppo (b. 1983) is an American composer whose music has been performed in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Maryland, and Italy. Originally a trumpet player, he draws inspiration from the 20th and 21st Century American music commonly referred to as Jazz, as well as from the vast history of Western concert music in general. He is also interested various types of World-Music, as well as the genre that evolved during the years he was growing up, Hip-Hop. Cacioppo's experiences playing in traditional Jazz settings, totally improvised settings, big-bands, orchestras, chamber music groups, brass ensembles, churches, and pit-orchestras have helped him in his conception of new works. He believes that composers ought to have a personal understanding of the performer's task, and visa-versa, and as such his pieces tend to challenge as well as intrigue the performer.
After gaining experience playing in the Philadelphia area Cacioppo was admitted to the highly competitive trumpet performance program at SUNY Purchase in New York. As he became more creatively driven and his interest in writing music increased he took up studies in composition at Purchase and eventually changed his major all together. His teachers there included Dary John Mizelle, Joseph Hudson, and Suzanne Farrin. After several fine performances of original works Charles graduated from Purchase in 2006 and went on to attend the University of Maryland College Park were he earned an M.M. in Composition in 2008. His teachers at Maryland included Robert Gibson, Thomas DeLio, and Lawrence Moss. More pieces were performed at Maryland, notably Cacioppo's extensive Piece for Four Trumpets was conducted by Chris Gekker with his students performing. Now on a hiatus from academia, Cacioppo resides in the Philadelphia area were he continues to write, seek out new opportunities to work with other performers and composers, study the music of others, play trumpet, and teach a variety of musical subjects to private students.

In the summer of 2007 Cacioppo attended the Composition Class at the Alba Music Festival in Italy where he studied with composers David Froom, Lou Karchin, and Marino Baratello. Later the same summer Cacioppo had the pleasure of meeting one of American's finest composers, Leon Kirchner. Kirchner acknowledged the young composer's "dramatic flare, upon hearing his songs.

Cacioppo was recently awarded the Walsum Prize for exceptional achievement in composition, offered through the University of Maryland.

Cacioppo is currently working on several new projects, including a performance of his Piece for Five Percussion Players at Haverford College.