About Tom Nazziola

Tom graduated from the Eastman School of Music with high distinction as a percussion major, participating in both the classical and graduate jazz program.  His experiences there included performances with Michael Brecker, Wynton Marsalis, Gerry Mulligan, Rufus Reid, Terrance Blanchard, Dave Liebman, and Bob Brookmeyer among others. Since Eastman, he has pursued post-graduate studies in composition at the Juilliard School and film scoring at the Mannes School of Music.  He has completed a Master of Arts degree in composition at Brooklyn College under the direction of Tania Leon.

Tom has recently orchestrated the music of Edward MacDowell (Woodland Skecthes) which was performed by the New York Philharmonic in a concert featuring Garrison Keillor (2006).  His original works have been performed internationally including a world premiere of his choral work "Another Spring" which was commissioned by VocalEssence and the American Composer's Forum.  He has recently received a commission by the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts to create a new score for the silent film classic "The Golem."

His music has been featured on NPR's "Theme and Variations" with host Will Everett.  His percussion piece entitled "From Here to There" has been performed throughout the USA and in several countries including Ireland, Croatia and Slovenia.   In the area of multimedia, Tom has written for numerous television/film projects including underscoring for Dateline NBC, MTV, CBS News, and an ESPN documentary on Roger Maris.  Most recently, he orchestrated music for the 2005 US Open Woman's finals which aired on CBS.  He has also composed the opening theme for ABC's "Primetime Medical Mysteries."

Tom currently composes for and performs with "The BQE Project," a New York City-based chamber ensemble that tours nationwide performing live music to both sound and silent film - past venues include the World Financial Center Arts & Events Program (NYC), the Hampton's International Film Festival, the Prince Theater (Philadelphia, PA) the Wadsworth Atheneum (Hartford, CT) and Cornell University.  In the fall of 2007, he premiered a new score to Buster Keaton's Battling Butler at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater.

Tom has received several awards in both composition and performance including a commission from the Museum of the Moving Image (NYC) to score a Charlie Chaplin film "The Gold Rush", which premiered in NYC in 1999.  As a performer, Tom is the principal performer for Disney's "Baby Einstein" audio/visual products, which won the Erich Parker 2002 Parent's Choice Award and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award 2003. His keyboard accomplishments for Disney's Baby Einstein series can be heard on over 21 releases (i.e. Baby Bach, Baby Mozart) and are sold throughout the world. Most recently, four of Baby Einstein's CDs achieved Gold status for record sales.   

Tom has also produced and performed on two new CDs - "Baby Britannia" and "Music My Pet."

Tom Nazziola