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  • Biography
IMDbPro

Christopher Caliendo

  • Composer
  • Music Department
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Trailer for Footprints
Play trailer2:05
Footprints (2009)
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
Born and raised in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York to Italian immigrants, Christopher Caliendo was invited to Los Angeles to finish his graduate work at UCLA by Henry Mancini after winning his Scholarship for Film Composition. After orchestrating "Victor Victoria", Mr. Mancini introduced Christopher to television composer Jerrold Immel where began a five year collaboration composing and orchestrating for CBS's "Dallas", "Knott's Landing", "Paradise" and "Guns of Paradise". Christopher received an Emmy nomination for Paradise's "Ghost Dance", in 1988.

In 1991 Christopher traveled to Italy to trace his Italian upbringing. In Rome, he met concert promoter Giorgio Gallo who introduced Christopher to Virgilio Levi, "commissioner of arts" at the Vatican. In March, 1992, Christopher received a call from the Vatican announcing a commission as the first American composer in Vatican history to compose a vocal/orchestral work for the prestigious "Encounters of Sacred Music Festival" televised and broadcast live in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, Italy. He received a second commission in 1995. Today, the entire four act musical drama "The Mystic Saints", is being considered by the new "Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels" as a world-wide television special directed by legendary Emmy and Ace award winning director Steve Binder, filmed by National Emmy winners Fisher/Merlis television, with set designs by multiple Emmy winner, Charles Lisanby.

Upon returning to Los Angeles Christopher was awarded a decorative scroll from the city of Los Angeles for his Vatican commissions. Encouraged by the success of his theatre work Christopher began composing and concertizing "Chamber Jazz", a unique new sound mixing American jazz with European chamber music. The group's first album was recorded at Capitol Studios in 1995. It was voted "best new jazz artist" by the South Hampton Jazz Critics Review, 1996.

In 1995 Christopher launched Efficaci records and Caliendo Music Publishing to fill a niche in the flute publishing world by selling and recording his original American Tango and Gypsy music for flute and guitar. Since 1997 Christopher has recorded with Mr. Sheridon Stokes - Hollywood's number one flautist for 45 years - his collection of twenty one American tangos on CDs, "Torbellino" and "Ardiente". Their third CD, "Rinascimento" will be released in 2002.

Christopher's new production, Gypsy Americano, an original style of music blending dance, American jazz and world Gypsy music was produced in Dallas, Texas last year at the National Flute Convention. Twenty four arrangements from the CD Gypsy Americano were released, one of which, "Meriben" was awarded first prize for newly published flute music in the United States. The same award was given to Caliendo Music Publishing in 1999 for Mr. Caliendo's arrangement of "La Milonga" for multiple flutes. In residence at the 1998 Cabrillo Music Festival with Academy Award winning composer John Corigliano, Christopher premiered his "Trio Concertino" featuring himself on guitar, violinist Rachel Purkin and Double Bassist David Young and large orchestra. The performance led to "Jazz Flight" a commission by the Redland Symphony Orchestra once again featuring Mr. Caliendo on acoustic guitar.

Christopher's love for silent film scoring was made evident when SONY pictures commissioned a rescore of the Betty Compson silent film, "La Belle of Broadway". A chance screening at SONY was heard by Charles Tabesh at Turner Classic movies who commissioned Christopher to score Norma Shearer's last silent picture A Lady of Chance (1928) with his "Chamber Jazz" ensemble.

Christopher's passion for all aspects of music and music making has continued to excite and interest his commercial and serious activities. His unusual blending of musical style and instrumentation and continuous respect for popular and serious musical culture has generated a personal catalog of over 500 works. Sacred music, opera, folk, gypsy, tango, classical, jazz to popular music - Christopher continues to enjoy arranging and composing music for a 21st century audience whose musical needs are as varied as his own.

Christopher has an AA in Humanities a BA from the New England Conservatory of Music and an MFA from UCLA in Theory Composition. His teachers have been Henry Mancini, Frank Zappa, Jerrold Immel, Neal Hefti, Henry Lazarof, Paul Reale and Pierrre Boulez.
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  • Known for

    The Undying (2009)
    The Undying
    4.5
    • Composer
    • 2009
    Trail of the Screaming Forehead
    Trail of the Screaming Forehead
    5.9
    • Soundtrack("Trail of the Screaming Forehead")
    • 2007
    Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor in Lucky Star (1929)
    Lucky Star
    7.6
    • Composer(restored version)
    • 1929
    Johnny Mack Brown and Norma Shearer in A Lady of Chance (1928)
    A Lady of Chance
    6.9
    • Composer
    • 1928

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Composer



    • Whip Hubley, Matthew Delamater, Isabelle Van Vleet, Keith Rubin, Sara Friedman, and Ally Murphy in Natural Selection (Proof of Concept) (2024)
      Natural Selection (Proof of Concept)
      Short
      • Composer
      • 2024
    • Passion & Poetry - The Dundee Odyssey (2019)
      Passion & Poetry - The Dundee Odyssey
      8.1
      Video
      • Composer
      • 2019
    • Life Is Love (2016)
      Life Is Love
      • Composer
      • 2016
    • Footprints (2009)
      Footprints
      5.2
      • Composer
      • 2009
    • The Undying (2009)
      The Undying
      4.5
      • Composer
      • 2009
    • Dark and Stormy Night (2009)
      Dark and Stormy Night
      6.6
      • Composer
      • 2009
    • Unspoken (2006)
      Unspoken
      5.6
      • Composer
      • 2006
    • Lee Horsley in Paradise (1988)
      Paradise
      7.9
      TV Series
      • Composer
      • 1988–1990
    • Charlton Heston, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, and Michael Anderson Jr. in Major Dundee (1965)
      Major Dundee
      6.7
      • Composer (2005 restored version)
      • 1965
    • City Girl (1930)
      City Girl
      7.7
      • Composer (2010)
      • 1930
    • Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor in Lucky Star (1929)
      Lucky Star
      7.6
      • Composer (restored version)
      • 1929
    • Johnny Mack Brown and Norma Shearer in A Lady of Chance (1928)
      A Lady of Chance
      6.9
      • Composer
      • 1928
    • The Belle of Broadway (1926)
      The Belle of Broadway
      6.5
      • Composer (2005)
      • 1926

    Music Department



    • Dark and Stormy Night (2009)
      Dark and Stormy Night
      6.6
      • conductor
      • 2009
    • Becoming John Ford (2007)
      Becoming John Ford
      7.3
      Video
      • composer: theme music
      • conductor
      • 2007
    • Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)
      Beverly Hills Cop III
      5.5
      • copyist (uncredited)
      • 1994
    • Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor in Lucky Star (1929)
      Lucky Star
      7.6
      • conductor: restored version
      • musician: guitar - restored version
      • 1929

    Soundtrack



    • The Undying (2009)
      The Undying
      4.5
      • writer: "Contigo", "It's Kristin", "In The Moonlight", "Happy Anniversary"
      • 2009
    • Trail of the Screaming Forehead
      Trail of the Screaming Forehead
      5.9
      • arranger: "Trail of the Screaming Forehead"
      • performer: "Trail of the Screaming Forehead"
      • 2007

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Videos2

    The Undying
    Trailer 1:31
    The Undying
    Footprints
    Trailer 2:05
    Footprints
    Footprints
    Trailer 2:05
    Footprints

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official site
      • Caliendo World Music Publishing
    • Born
      • Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Interview
      • 1 Article

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