Guest Artist Bios

CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR

A Tribute to THE BEATLES

Since its initial performance at the Orange County Performing Arts Center (now renamed Segerstrom Center for the Arts) in 1996, Classical Mystery Tour has become the #1 Symphony Pops attraction over the last decade. The group has been performing consistently for almost 25 years with more than 100 orchestras in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The group played to packed houses at the Sydney Opera House, and has performed with America’s most prestigious orchestras: The Cleveland Orchestra, The Boston Pops, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The San Francisco Symphony, among many others.

The four musicians in Classical Mystery Tour look and sound just like The Beatles, but Classical Mystery Tour is more than just a rock concert. The show presents more than two dozen Beatles tunes transcribed note-for-note and performed exactly as they were originally recorded.

Hear “Penny Lane” with a live trumpet section, experience the beauty of “Yesterday” with an acoustic guitar and string quartet, enjoy the classical/rock blend on “I Am the Walrus,” and relish the cascading orchestral crescendo on “A Day in the Life.” Classical Mystery Tour is the best of The Beatles – from early Beatles music on through the solo years – like you’ve never heard them before. Many have called it “the best show the Beatles never did!”

The Los Angeles Times called Classical Mystery Tour “more than just an incredible simulation...the swelling strings and soaring French horn lines gave the live performance a high goose-bump quotient...the crowd stood and bellowed for more.”

Classical Mystery Tour CDs and T-shirts are available for purchase on their website: (Bios continued next page)

ClassicalMysteryTour.com

Martin Herman

guest conductor

A resident of Los Angeles, Martin Herman was educated at Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, University of California at Berkeley, and Stanford University. He also spent two years in Paris on a Fulbright Grant where he worked as a composer and conductor with the “New American Music in Europe” and “American Music Week” festivals. Aside from his conducting interests, Herman is an active composer and arranger. He has received fellowships and grants from the American Music Center, the Camargo Foundation, Meet the Composer, Trust for Mutual Understanding, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He has written chamber and orchestral works as well as three operas. He is recorded on the Albany Record label. As a long-time Beatles fan, Martin was commissioned to provide the orchestral transcriptions heard on the Classical Mystery Tour show. Recent guest conducting engagements include the Detroit Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Dallas Symphony, San Diego Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Louisville Symphony, the Virginia Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Alabama Symphony, the Omaha Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra in Prague, Czech Republic.

Jim Owen

rhythm guitar, piano, vocals

Jim Owen was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California. He gained rich musical experience from his father, who played music from the classics for him on the piano, and from his extensive library of recordings by the great classical artists. Jim began studying the piano at age six, and won honors in various piano performance competitions throughout his teenage years. He was eight years old when he first heard The Beatles, and promptly decided to take up the study of the guitar. His first professional performance as a Beatle tribute artist was at 16. Then, at age 18, he began touring internationally with various Beatles tribute productions, visiting Japan, Korea, China, Canada, Mexico, and much of South America.

It has long been Jim’s dream to share with the public live performances of some of the greatest music ever written and recorded, so in 1996, Owen began working on his idea for a new Beatles tribute show with orchestra. Classical Mystery Tour was the result.

Paul Curatolo

bass guitar, piano, vocals

At ten years old, his musical journey began when he taught himself the drums. He quickly adapted to guitar and piano, which drove him to write and record his own music. At age 14, he was a member of the pop band “Wayward”, and went on to record five albums. Until recently the band has toured the U.S. and was voted home town heroes in Alternative Press magazine. Paul’s love for the Beatles has driven him to master the character of Paul McCartney down to every detail — from vocal inflections, to turning the bass over to perform lefthanded. Paul considers it an honor to pay tribute to his idol.

Joe Bithorn

lead guitar, vocals

Joe Bithorn grew up in Manhattan and Long Island where he was exposed to a variety of music including jazz, Latin, classical, and more. By age 3, his musical father taught the children how to sing harmony. He was profoundly influenced by the experiences he had at Carnegie Hall through his Mom who worked with the Festival Casals. Thanks to The Beatles appearance on Ed Sullivan, Joe took a strong interest in the guitar. Joe developed the ability to learn guitar parts by ear by age 14, and by 16 he was so proficient that he was recruited for studio sessions. While in high school, Joe and his brother formed The Bithorn Brothers Band, performing the early music of the Allman Brothers Band. Joe heard about an audition for Beatlemania, and was hired for the touring production as George. After touring with the show in North America, Joe joined RAIN in 1983 and has been touring the world ever since.

Chris Camilleri

drums, vocals

Born and raised on Long Island, Chris Camilleri had a convenient drum teacher: his dad. He started listening to Beatles records at a young age. Gradually Chris gravitated to progressive rock bands, but retained a fondness for The Beatles and eventually formed the internationally-renowned Beatles cover band Liverpool, which still reunites to perform at the Fests For Beatles Fans (formerly Beatlefest). Chris has played drums for a variety of touring artists, including Peter Noone (of Herman’s Hermits fame), Badfinger, Micky Dolenz, Joe Walsh, and others. He became a good friend and musical associate to Harry Nilsson (who was a contemporary and close friend to all the individual Beatles). When not playing music, Chris has an active commercial and voiceover career. Chris is a D’Addario musical products artist.