Brian Choper

In 1983, Brian won first prize at the Vienna International Music Festival for classical timpani. While in college, Brian studied with George Huttlin and Marshall Maley, drummer /percussionist, head of PAS VA who resides in Virginia. 1983 - 1985 Brian studied with the late drummer Buddy Rich in New York. From 1984 -1989, Brian freelanced, playing shows and Ragtime in various bands and theatre groups, while working with the Prince George's Philharmonic Orchestra. Interested in ethnic music, in 1985 Brian became the first drummer to play with the Capital Klezmers, at the time, one of the top three Folk bands in the country. Upon leaving this band in 1989, he joined the Machaya Klezmer Band as percussionist and set drummer. In 1992, Brian was selected to participate in the International Music Festival in Safed, Israel.

The Machaya Klezmer Band was not as well known when Brian first joined it, but he loved their sound and was confident that the band had the potential to attain national recognition. Although the band had already cut one album before he joined the group, Brian produced the group's second CD (entitled "What A Machaya"), and is also featured on it. This CD became the number two selling Folk album for 1997 (on the folk charts) and was rated as such in the prestigious Moment Magazine (August, 1997). As a result of Brian's public relations efforts and recognition with record distributors, the Machaya Klezmer Band soon became one of the top billing Folk bands in the country.

From 1997 through 2001, while still playing as a member of Machaya, Brian joined Nexus, a highly respected local Rock Band. During this time he did a lot of traveling throughout the United States and to Israel, Austria, Germany and other European countries while on tour with his regular bands and as a guest musician with other ensembles. Throughout his career, as he has managed bands, Brian had always been helping other musicians by providing advice on everything from how to start and manage a band, to how to find work in an increasingly complex music world. So, in 2002, he wrote a guidebook entitled, Entertainment Connection Career Guidebook, where he spells out the basics of how to get into the business once you know your craft, how to manage the people around you as a band leader, and how to find work and make the business work for you.

Brian became more and more interested in Jazz drumming. As of 2001 he left Machaya, and after performing at the Lansing Michigan Jazz Festival that Fall and meeting many of the performers attending, he decided to work with some of them and start his own Jazz/Klezmer band, and the Kol Haruach Klezmer Band (www.kolharuach.com) was born. In 2003, following the success of his Klezmer band, his continued intrigue with Jazz and his renewed interest in oldies Rock & Roll, he decided to form two additional distinct Jazz bands and a Rock band. In 2007, he added a concert Klezmer band to his list of projects.

These bands include The Choper Jazz Project, The Jazz Connection, Nexus (a band named after his 1997 Rock band, a band that ended up being one of his favorites.) and The New Klezmer Quintet. The Choper Jazz Project (www.choperjazzproject.com) plays more straight up Jazz, and The Jazz Connection (www.the-jazz-connection.com) plays upbeat Swing. Nexus (www.nexusrockband.com) plays Rock & Roll of the 70's and 80's, 90's, modern Pop and originals. The New Klezmer Quintet (www.newklezmerquintet.com) is a Klezmer band that performs original music for the stage.

It may be noted that by 2004, the Kol Haruach Klezmer Band became a nationally renowned name in Klezmer and folk music, and today, The New Klezmer Quintet is considered one of the top selling Klezmer stage bands.