John Sawoski, Carl Rigoli, and Richard Maloof will play John Sawoski's trio arrangements for Eastman Kodak's Image Awards, a private event and ceremony honoring the 2008 Emmy nominees in cinematography.

As a substitute for Carlo Spiga, John Sawoski conducted an evening concert with the Capistrano Valley Symphony, which included Vladimir Polimatidi (concertmaster), Julie Metz (asst.concertmaster), Johana Krejci, Araksia Nazlikian, Mira Khomik, Kathleen Mangusing, Valerie Geller, Bridget Bow, Yumi Yoshinaga, Destiny Ankers, Karen Lak, John Acosta, Karen Deaner, Tom Pedrini, Mary Palchak, Laura Recendez, Joe and Laura Stone, Michele B., Steve Durnin, Lisa Cherry, Rick Baptist, George K., Steve Charpie, Mike Hoffman, Rocco Quaranta, Curt Berg, Alan Steinberger, Carl Rigoli, Michael R., Gregg Gilboe, and others. The evening of music from the theatre, hosted by John Santana, featured guest vocalists from California Conservatory for the Arts. Photos to follow. The concert took place in the beautiful Mission San Juan Capistrano courtyard. John Sawoski will also perform in several other concerts this season. More info will be posted at http://www.LAPianist.com as it becomes available.

May 12 (Saturday) - John Sawoski plays keyboards for Feinstein, Gifford, and the Fifth Dimension

John Sawoski played keyboards (along with pianist/musical director Steven Cahill, drummer Albie Berk, bassist Kirk Smith, trumpeter Rick Baptist, and others), at a private event featuring vocalists Michael Feinstein, Cathy Lee Gifford, the 5th Dimension (Billy Davis and Marilyn McCoo), and Lauren Nelson (Miss America 2007), as well as the Debbie Allen dancers (pictured above left with John Sawoski behind the keyboard to the lower left of the photograph). The Viewpoint School fundraiser, which raised $1,000,000 that evening, was hosted by Brad Garrett and Ray Romano (pictured left). Also appearing on stage were Doris Roberts, HRH Prince Edward Earl of Wessex, Kathy Ireland, Rick Schroder, Sean Hayes, Jean Smart, and others. For more photographs of the event, please click the following photo galleries:

http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====273133&nbc1=1

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?EventId=74119891

Also on the concert was: Dale Kristien, who is well-known for her record-breaking four-and-one-half years in the role of 'Christine Daae' in The Phantom of the Opera. Ms. Kristien first played 'Christine' opposite the original Phantom, on Broadway and they both premiered the Andrew Lloyd Webber show in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theatre. She subsequently continued in the role until the show closed. Altogether, Dale Kristien was featured in more than 1,700 performances – the longest running Christine in captivity and the only actress allowed to play the role for all eight shows per week, anywhere in the world.

White Boys From New Jersey Now Available for Download and On-Demand Listening

		iTunes	Click here to learn more about this comedy/rap/novelty project released in 1994, featuring John Sawoski, rapper / songwriter / keyboardist / co-producer with Paul Nahay, Ryan Moore, and others.
		Rhapsody
		Napster

Free Video Clip Now Available for Viewing:

 Click PLAY to watch a video clip of a scene (with music by John Sawoski), from a film called Showboy, which recently aired in 40 million households in the US. In this scene, the lead character tours the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas and fantasizes about playing a piece that sounds like something Liberace would play (actually composed and performed by John Sawoski). Most of the film score is composed by Daniele Luppi, who receives screen credit for the score. (John Sawoski is on the ASCAP Cue Sheet, and receiving payment for the music in this scene.)

John Sawoski Gives Two Special Performances for the Los Angeles Philharmonic:

On May 16, 2005, John Sawoski accompanied Soprano Lisa Vroman in a private performance for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association Board Of Directors, hosted by LA Philharmonic Chairman John F. Hotchkis. The performance included musical theatre highlights, some new material, and a special Finnish folk song, performed in honor of conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, who later commented that the song was "perfect." Also in attendance were former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, Ginny Mancini (widow of Henry Mancini), and many other dignitaries.

On June 11, 2005, John Sawoski accompanied Baritone Rod Gilfry in a private performance for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association Business and Professional Committee, in the Fifth Floor ballroom at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The performance included musical theatre selections, traditional opera arias, and two pieces from a new opera, Margaret Garner, by Nobel Prize-winning author and librettist Toni Morrison and Grammy-winning composer Richard Danielpour. Co-commissioned with the Cincinnati Opera (July 2005) and the Opera Company of Philadelphia (Jan./Feb. 2006), and based on a true historical event, it also stars Denyce Graves, Jessye Norman and Gregg Baker, and had its world premiere with Detroit's Michigan Opera Theatre in May 2005.

DVD's of Rod Gilfry's wonderfully entertaining one-man show, My Heart Is So Full of You, filmed in February 2004 during sold-out performances at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California, are available at http://www.gilfrydvd.com/  .

Good Performances of John Sawoski's Orchestrations:

John Sawoski's orchestration of Danny Boy, was performed March 19, 2005 by The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra and tenors Matthew Surapine (Metropolitan Opera) and Jim Russell (New York City Opera). Comments included:

"The music was the equal of any major orchestra in America... a hidden jewel."

- Massachusetts State Senator Richard T. Moore, Milford Daily News, Milford, Mass.

"The audience listened to the words of these classic ballads, and couldn’t help shed a tear or two... no one held back their applause when the songs were over – the audience couldn’t contain themselves. Irish eyes were surely smiling!" Susan McWade Surapine

John Sawoski's orchestrations for The Leading Ladies, performed in concert May 22, 2005 by the Capistrano Valley Symphony Orchestra with top Los Angeles studio musicians like trumpeter Rick Baptist, were also well-received.

Good Reviews for Zemeckis Band, Arranged and Musical Directed by John Sawoski:

John Sawoski arranged and musical directed for Staar, a one-woman original revue starring Leslie Zemeckis, which ran Mondays from April 11 to May 16, 2005, and was featured on Entertainment Tonight, Playboy Radio, KNAC radio, and KTLA-TV. Produced by Donalee Austin. Executive Producer Robert Zemeckis.  The Tolucan Times (April 21, 2005) and Entertainment News called the band, playing several arrangements by John Sawoski, a "hot razzmatazz jazz band." The band consists of tenor saxophonist Ben Wendell, trombonist Garrett Smith, drummer Richard Martinez, and John Sawoski at the piano (as well as guest conductor Ed Vodicka).

John Sawoski Remotely Triggers Piano While Musical Directing I Remember You

John Sawoski's musical direction of Bill Hayes, Lee Meriwether, and Caryn Richman, and piano-playing for the play I Remember You at Norris Center for the Performing Arts in Rolling Hills Estates, CA in May 2005, was "well realized by musical director John Sawoski's offstage playing" (Los Angeles Times). An acoustic piano on stage, actually triggered remotely (with the PianoDisc system, from an offstage MIDI keyboard) by John Sawoski, appeared to be played by Bill Hayes, convincingly enough to make the Palos Verdes Peninsula News state that "a charming Bill Hayes portrays the piano player with conviction, and to some patrons' surprise, he even plays his own piano, with musical director John Sawoski filling in seamlessly behind a scrim." After that review appeared, Bill Hayes began making a nightly curtain call speech asking how the audience enjoyed his playing, and subsequently confessing that he didn't play a single note. Audiences also enjoyed John Sawoski's moving arrangement of "The Water Is Wide," sung by the cast in the final scene nightly. A grand piano and the PianoDisc system were graciously provided by Kawai.

DVD of Winning Ugly (scored by John Sawoski) Now Available

The film, Winning Ugly: Twenty Years Later, a retrospective video about the 1983 American League West Champion Chicago White Sox, with original music score by John Sawoski, is now available on DVD as well as VHS, at all White Sox home games this season at U.S. Cellular Field.

Click here for an audio clip of the End Credits Theme (2.04MB MP3, 1:46)

For more Film and TV music clips by John Sawoski, please see John Sawoski's newly-updated Music for the Visual Media demonstration area.

Other Continuing Engagements:

Sundays 9 am: John Sawoski accompanies for the Caritas Chorus at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Parish in Los Angeles under the direction of renowned composer Christopher Walker. St. Paul's is located at: 10750 Ohio Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024.