Brian Choper

Who is Brian Choper?

Brian Choper is an award-winning American percussionist, band manager and author. With more than 30 years of experience playing both nationally and internationally, he has been featured on nine CD's, authored an educational book on music management, and started his own entertainment management company, Washington's Entertainment Connection/Thunder Records.

Choper manages and plays in five bands featuring a diverse combination of genres, including jazz, rock, funk, klezmer and Israeli music, and is known for his ability to play a variety of styles and genres. His groups include The Choper Jazz Project, The Jazz Connection, Nexus Rock Band, Kol Haruach Orchestra, New Klezmer Quintet, and TnL.

From the early '80s through the late '90s, Choper was primarily known as a klezmer and rock drummer. By the late '90s, he had diversified his experience, working with many bands to become a serious player in many other genres including rock, funk, jazz and Latin. By the mid '90s, Choper had emerged as an internationally known American drummer, and later became respected as a band manager, business owner and consultant.

During his earlier years, Choper was already creating innovations in the music world. In 1983, he won first prize at the Vienna International Music Festival for classical timpani. He studied with notable teachers including George Huttlin, Marshall Maley and Buddy Rich. Choper was the first drummer to play with the Capital Klezmers, one of the top three folk bands in the country during the 1980s.