BELLOWS FALLS — After an absence of several years, pianist, singer, and songwriter Alki Steriopoulos returns to Stone Church Arts in Bellows Falls for an evening of music, heart, and laughter on Saturday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m., at the stone church on the hill at 20 Church St.
According to a news release, Steriopoulos has prepared a program of classical music re-imagined with jazz stylings and reharmonizations. There will be back-to-back Bach from when Bach got back from Brazil. Chopin, Debussy, and Schubert will also get a musical makeover.
Steriopoulos will most likely include a few of his own songs as well, taking on subjects such as homeless people, shy people, God, tragic pygmies, and food, all with humor and love.
It has been many years since Steriopoulos has played in southern Vermont.
Steriopoulos' extensive theater experience includes conducting Those Were the Days on Broadway, and On Second Avenue off-Broadway. He was musical director for Gifts of the Magi, The Little Prince, and the 25th anniversary production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well at the Village Gate. Other New York credits include playing keyboards for Tommy, Once On This Island, and Catskills on Broadway.
He served as associate conductor and pianist for A Chorus Line, as well as conducting and playing the first national tour of Five Guys Named Moe. He also musically-directed Joel Gray in his solo portrayal of his father, Mickey Katz, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music, and conducted two-time Tony-nominee Bruce Adler in concert.
He also served as assistant musical director for Carnegie Hall's 100th Anniversary Tribute to Ira Gershwin, a star-studded concert that airs on PBS' “Great Performances” series.
As a performer, Steriopoulos recreates the songbooks of Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, and Hoagy Carmichael, the latter available on CD. He has appeared in concert with cellist Eugene Friesen of the Paul Winter Consort, and with rock 'n' roll Hall of Famers The Band.
His performances in Portugal with the group Filantropia culminated in sharing the bill with Brazilian superstar Milton Nascimento at the Tom de Fest in Tandela. He has recorded with legendary singer/songwriter Richie Havens. He has recorded and arranged for the Muppets, Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks Interactive, George Lucas's Lucasarts, and Pixar, while assisting and collaborating with his former student, Grammy, Emmy, and Oscar-winning composer, Michael Giacchino.