Fripp Island Friends of Music Presents Sawoski and Patzakis Contributed by Margit Resch Are you intrigued by those names? Well, wait until you hear those two internationally celebrated musicians on May 15, when they conclude the 37th season of music on Fripp Island, another wonderful season the highlight of which might very well be this concert by John Sawoski, multi-genre pianist, and Michele Patzakis, multi-genre vocal artist, two performers who are meant for each other—musically speaking. John, who plays a variety of keyboards, is an orchestrator, arranger, musical director and composer. He began composing for the piano at the age of… no, not 16 or 25, he began composing at the age of 10! Mozart beat him to that art of composition by five years. From then on, John’s musical accomplishments continue to be astounding. As a sophomore at Stanford University, he wrote, arranged and conducted a musical called How to Become a Legend in Your Own Mind. Clearly, his professors and his audiences were impressed by his work, because he was commissioned to compose songs for Stanford University’s annual musical shows. He has since created, arranged and recorded music for films like Day of Atonement and for world-famous theatrical productions. Who has ever played for three American presidents? John, needless to say. He also provided hundreds of orchestrations and arrangements for international celebrities, like Plácido Domingo, Jim Carrey, Michael Feinstein, Judy Whitmore, and others, many of whom he accompanied in concerts and recordings. Recently, John conducted, arranged and produced two albums by new vocal artists featuring sixty musicians, and he released a solo-piano album called “Cinema Amore: Movie Love Themes and Other Classics.” His own compositions have been played by famous orchestras all over the country from California to Colorado to Philadelphia. He might just play some pieces for us. Ask him if he should be too modest. His style of playing is mesmerizing. Just listen to his rendition of Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu. You will be on your feet and applauding in your very own home. You will be on your feet and applauding during and after his performance here on Fripp, I bet you..
Spring Vol II 2022
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