Peter Calandra
| Peter Calandra | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | Brooklyn, New York |
| Origin | Northport, New York |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, Musician, Conductor |
| Instruments | Piano, Guitar |
| Associated acts | The BlanX |
| Website | www |
Peter Calandra is a New York City based composer and pianist. He is most well known for his work composing music for film and television as well as conducting and playing piano in Broadway and Off Broadway productions. He holds a Master's Degree in Music Composition from Queens College, City University of New York.
Calandra has played keyboard as part of a pit orchestra for a variety of musicals. Some of the Broadway musicals he is known for include Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, and the Phantom of the Opera. He not only performed in but also served as conductor and musical director for the original New York City production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Calandra has scored over 40 films. For film scores and compositions, Calandra uses a variety of instrumentation and styles. He has stated that most of the film music he writes "has a combination of orchestral, choral, piano, ethnic and electronic elements..." but he often alters his approach for certain films. As an example, for his score for Pat XO, an ESPN documentary on college basketball coach Pat Summitt, Calandra's score is based on acoustic guitars and live percussion. Calandra stated that for this score, he creating a "roots oriented," "small ensemble" sound to match the down-to-earth qualities of the film.
One of Calandra's most well-known works his is score for the 2004 film Unknown Soldier by director Ferenc Tóth. For this score, which primarily features instrumental jazz, Calandra performed with saxophonist Dale Kleps, trumpeter Bud Burridge, bassist Kermit Driscoll, and drummer Howard Joines. Dr. Ana Isabel Ordonez of jazzReview praised the recording, stating that "Unknown Soldier's jazz score highlights bravery and the human social fracture in our society."
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