Trans Siberian Orchestra: Evocative Rock Symphony for All Ages

Never before has an ensemble of brilliant musicians been able to blend the charm of classical composition, the enchantment of Christmas, the power of symphonic rock and a visual show that leaves Pink Floyd in the dust.

The Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO) tours annually to bring the beauty of Christmas music to cities across Canada and the United States. Their unique brand of symphonic rock and seasonal music blended with just the right touch of classical music becomes intensely heightened with the band’s energetic performance.  Pyrotechnics, lasers and lights are synchronized with the entire performance, an endeavor that takes fifteen hours to set up.

TSO History

In 1996 the Trans Siberian Orchestra was founded by composers Paul O’Neill, Robert Kinkel, Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli. The group’s name was inspired by the Trans Siberian Railway which Kinkel says, “connects many cultures otherwise isolated, much like music.”

Paul O’Neill has an extensive career that started when he was a guitarist in the touring productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair. O’Neil then worked at Leber-Krebs Inc., the management company that launched many successful careers such as Aerosmith, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Ted Nugent and more. In 1986 he turned to writing and producing full time. Soon he began to stretch creative boundaries, developing a distinct style of rock opera. From there he initiated the creation of the Trans Siberian Orchestra.

O’Neill, Kinkel and Oliva wrote: “Christmas Eve and Other Stories,” “The Christmas Attic,” “Beethoven’s Last Night” and “The Lost Christmas Eve.” These rock operas quickly became Lava/Atlanta’s top selling projects. Their long awaited “Night Castle” album was released in the autumn of 2009, http://nightcastlealbum.com/.

In the Studio

When the thirty-three member TSO is in the studio, they use a 60 piece orchestra to ensure the music produced is second-to-none. They have several albums out that include: Christmas Eve and Other Stories, The Christmas Attic, Beethoven’s Last Night, The Ghost of Christmas Eve, The Lost Christmas Eve and The Christmas Trilogy.

Forget Andy Williams and Bing Crosby. There’s no going back to traditionally performed Christmas music after the TSO experience. Their extraordinary ability to blend yesterday’s sounds with today’s craving for outstanding music transcends all generations that creates new Christmas traditions for thousands of fans every year.

The Concert

The start of every concert begins with the announcement of the donation TSO makes to a local charity. They donate $1 of every ticket sold to a charitable organization. Once the house lights go out, the magic of their Christmas story begins. This musical tale is about a young angel sent to Earth to find and bring back to the Lord the one thing that represents everything good that’s been done in the name of Christmas Day. The angel’s pursuit takes him all over the world until he hears the prayers of a father. After the story has been told, they perform their newer material and sometimes rock music from the 70’s.

Trans Siberian Orchestra does not just go over the top, they leave it far behind. If you have an opportunity to see TSO live this holiday season you’re guaranteed to go home wanting to listen to TSO all year round.

Tags: AC/DC, Aerosmith, DEF Leppard, Lava/Atlanta, Night Castle, Ted Nugent, Trans Siberian Orchestra, TSO

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 24th, 2009 at 12:03 am and is filed under Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.