Louis Karchin (08/09/1951), an American composer, performer, conductor of new music and organizer of new music events. Born in Philadelphia. His music comprises a deep, ongoing dialogue with the great works of the core repertoire. Modernism is, for him, a way of establishing contact with tradition, not a means of eradicating it. Gradually and naturally, with the pacing of a life focused securely on his personal vision, Karchin has developed a language that is rich, consistent, and, happily, difficult to pigeonhole.