Music to Smile About
Deborah Avery, Clarinet
Guest Conductor Barry Jekowsky

Two Performances:

Saturday, October 6, 2007 8:00 PM

 Riverside Municipal Auditorium

To order tickets, call 877-744-5849 or click http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0B003F0FFB65580F or

Pre-concert lecture at 2:15 PM.
General $15.00. Reserved $25.00. Children 4 to 16 FREE.
 

Call (909) 337-4296

for additional information or tickets.

In addition to having conducted their May 20 concert, John Sawoski also conducted the Capistrano Valley Symphony Sept. 23, 2007. The Capistrano Valley Symphony orchestra features classic symphony sounds, show tunes, and popular music from the 40's to the present day in the beautiful Mission San Juan Capistrano courtyard. Unfortunately, Carlo Spiga, The Capistrano Valley Symphony’s musical director, passed away Saturday night, Sept. 22, 2007, and the orchestra got the news between the rehearsal and the concert Sunday. As Sawoski said later, "Despite the shocking and sad news we received about Carlo’s passing, we knew he'd want the orchestra to have a good show anyway, so we did. Sunday night's guest artists were The Riders of the Purple Sage, six really great singing Western (not country) musicians who could orchestrate, play complex rhythms, and much more. We did lots of fun songs, including a number called "Picked Suite," which was sort of a bluegrass concerto grosso that involved our players reading some intense fiddling licks, alternating with the band. And their mandolinist did an amazing solo version of the William Tell Overture Finale." The orchestra also performed Sawoski's Morricone medley arrangement, "Spaghetti Western/Romance Medley."

On September 20, 2007, John Sawoski rehearsed in Pasadena, California with three Broadway stars and their associate conductor, to prepare them for their concert Broadway Showstoppers – Best of the Tonys®.

Peter Nero and the Philly Pops’® 2007-08 season opens with a winner – Tony Award® winners, that is! “Broadway Showstoppers – Best of the Tonys®” features selections from shows that have received or been nominated for Tony Awards – the ultimate honor of the Great White Way. Three of Broadway’s top talents join Peter Nero and the Philly Pops for this annual favorite. They are Lisa Vroman (The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables), Rachel York (Camelot, Kiss Me, Kate, and Victor/Victoria), and Doug LaBrecque (Phantom and Showboat).

Performances take place on September 30 and October 3 and 5-7, 2007, in Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (see below for concert times). The season opens with a matinee performance, part of a new Sunday series added to accommodate the growing demand for tickets to Peter Nero and the Philly Pops concerts.

Click on a date below to purchase tickets.

Sun. September 30, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Wed. October 3, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Fri. October 5, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Sat. October 6, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Sun. October 7, 2007 at 3:00 pm

John Sawoski played keyboards, along with keyboardists John Beasley and Giovanna Imbesi, as Kim Richmond music directed The 19th Annual Spotlight Awards April 14, 2007 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles Music Center; 7 PM. John Lithgow hosted. Click here for more information. Also in the band: bassist Joel Hamilton, drummer Ralph Razze, and guitarist Tom Hynes.

The following videos feature the orchestra along with the high school-age performers on stage at that program.

And the winners are:

(Nice fanfares from the pit)

This program will be broadcast on KCET-TV (PBS) in Los Angeles in early 2008.

John Sawoski, Carl Rigoli, and Richard Maloof played John Sawoski's trio arrangements for Eastman Kodak's Salute to Cinematography, a private event and ceremony honoring the 2007 Emmy nominees in cinematography.

REDLANDS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. “Centennial Celebration”: John Sawoski played piano on Stravinsky's Firebird Suite at the celebration of the University of Redlands’ Centennial, with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Frank Paul Fetta.