Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Infobox musical artist
Name = Trans-Siberian Orchestra

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Img_capt = TSO Concert in November 2007
Img_size = 250
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Alias = TSO
Origin = New York City, New York, USA
Genre = Symphonic rock/metal [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/18/business/media/18siberia.html?ref=media From Heavy Metal to Symphonic Rock and Holiday Gold] - New York Times] [http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/003823.html Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) Is This Winter's Biggest Concert Attraction] ] [ [http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-trans-siberian-orchestra.htm WiseGeek: What is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra?] ]
Progressive rock/metal [http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/003823.html Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) Is This Winter's Biggest Concert Attraction] ] [ [http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=1447 Encyclopaedia Metallum on Trans-Siberian Orchestra] ]
Classical music
Years_active = 1996–present
Label =
Associated_acts = Savatage.
URL = [http://www.trans-siberian.com/ Official Website]
Current_members = Paul O'Neill
Robert Kinkel
Jon Oliva
Past_members = See: Trans-Siberian Orchestra member history

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (often abbreviated as TSO) is a rock orchestra founded by Paul O'Neill, Robert Kinkel, and Jon Oliva in 1996. The band's musical style is often described in different terms, incorporating progressive rock, symphonic metal, and heavy metal, with influences from classical music. The group is based in New York City, but frequently tours worldwide, bringing their music to sometimes obscure areas. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is well known for its renditions of traditional Christmas songs. Some of their most well-known works include such songs as Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 (a rendition of Carol of the Bells), and Wizards in Winter, both of which are popular selections of radio DJs during the Christmas season.

Biography

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra was founded in 1996 in Lakeland, Florida by composers Paul O'Neill and Robert Kinkel, and Savatage lead singer Jon Oliva. The group's name is inspired by the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia which Kinkel says connects many cultures otherwise isolated, much like music.

O'Neill had managed and produced rock bands including Aerosmith, Humble Pie, and Scorpions, later writing for and producing Savatage, where he began working with Kinkel and Oliva. The concept for a band playing Christmas carols in a rock opera style was not received warmly by the industry, but quickly proved a success with adults as well as young people.

In the recording studio, Trans-Siberian Orchestra uses a full 60-piece orchestra and a choir. As of 2004, their touring band included fourteen vocalists, fourteen musicians, and two narrators.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra released their debut album "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" in 1996, and it remains their best-selling album. Their 1998 release "The Christmas Attic" was similarly a concept album with a Christmas theme. This album featured what remains one of their most recognizable songs, "Christmas Canon", a take on Pachelbel's "Canon in D".

In 2000, they released their first (and to date only) non-Christmas album, "Beethoven's Last Night", a concept album about Ludwig van Beethoven's last night on earth, during which he meets Fate, her son Twist, and Mephistopheles.

After several years of touring, they returned to the studio and subsequently released another full-length album, "Lost Christmas Eve", and the accompanying DVD/3-CD release "The Christmas Trilogy", which contained all three of their Christmas albums to date.

The band is, as of early 2005, working on a new non-Christmas album, Night Castle. It was projected to be released in the spring of 2008, according to an announcement made by Paul O'Neill at the December 30, 2007 concert in Cleveland, and is expected to feature the band's rendition of "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana", performed as a preview by the band during their 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 tours. As of now, the album is entering its final stages of development.

Their 2005 tour placed twenty-first on the list of the most successful concert tours of the year, earning just over US$21 million. [ [http://www.pollstaronline.com/sf-ye2005-top100tours.asp PollstarPro: News ] ] The string section comprises local musicians. Live shows are known for their extensive use of pyrotechnics, lasers & lights synchronized with the performance, all of which takes 15 hours to set up. [ [http://classicrock.about.com/od/artistprofilesrz/a/tso_review.htm Trans Siberian Orchestra - Concert Review ] ]

Shows are divided into two halves: the first consisting of the story and songs of Christmas Eve and Other Stories, the second a mix of songs from The Christmas Attic, Beethoven's Last Night, The Lost Christmas Eve, and a few miscellaneous covers (including Layla, Immigrant Song, and Proud Mary), finishing with a reprise of Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24.

Current project

Listen
filename=Wizards in Winter.ogg
title=Trans-Siberian Orchestra "Wizards in Winter" (2004)
description="Wizards in Winter" exhibits the rock orchestra style that makes the Trans-Siberian Orchestra so unique.
format=Ogg"Night Castle" is a future release of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra that is currently in production. It will include a version of "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, which was previewed live by the band in 2004. In an interview with [http://www.rockmymonkey.com/interviews/06/11/JonOlivasPain.php Rockmymonkey.com] , Jon Oliva confirmed that he will be recording vocal parts for the album (the last Trans-Siberian Orchestra album to feature Oliva's vocals was 2000's "Beethoven's Last Night"). Kurdt Vanderhoof of Metal Church will also contribute guitar parts to the album.

During recent performances of their 2006 tour, Chris Caffery stated that production of the album is currently behind schedule, largely because of the band's perfectionism. This delay echoes the two-year delay in the release of "Beethoven's Last Night" and the year-long delay in the release of "The Lost Christmas Eve". TSO stated, on their website, that they are "buried in the studio" attempting to finish the album. [" [http://www.trans-siberian.com/index-main.php Trans-Siberian Orchestra Official Site] ". URL Accessed Feb 25, 2008.]

In several cities during their 2007-2008 winter tour, a joke was made on-stage as to what we would be more likely to see in our lifetimes: a McDonald's on Mars, or the release of the long awaited album. This was followed by the band's performance of 'O Fortuna' which will be on the upcoming album.

In the latest edition of TSO's souvenir program there is a page featuring "excerpts from the lyrics on Trans-Siberian Orchestra's upcoming album "Night Castle" copyrighted 2007 Paul O'Neill. The song is titled "There Was a Life" and is adjacent to a full page photo of Al Pitrelli on the west coast and a picture of Robert Kinkel on the east coast. This song is not one of the three featured in the concert.

On October 8, Paul O'Neill was interviewed on Seattle's Bob Rivers radio show, he mentioned that during 2008's TSO Xmas tour, more songs will be played from Nightcastle, but the album will not be out until next summer.

Members (past, present and touring only)

Composer
*Paul O'Neill - Composer, lyricist, producer
*Jon Oliva - Composer
*Robert Kinkel - Co-Producer, Keyboards, music director

Vocals
*Tommy Farese - Vocals
*Anthony Gaynor - Narrator/Vocals
*Alexa Goddard - Vocals
*Kristin Lewis Gorman - Vocals
*Heather Gunn - Vocals
*Erin Henry - Vocals
*Steena Hernandez - Vocals
*Jay Pierce - Vocals
*Patti Russo - Vocals
*Bart Shatto - Vocals
*Jennifer Cella - Vocals
*Steve Broderick - Vocals
*Danielle Landherr - Vocals
*Andrew Ross - Vocals
*Maxx (Max Mann) - Vocals
*Scout (Scout Ford) - Vocals
*Bryan Hicks - Narrator
*Peter Shaw - Vocals

Guitar
*Al Pitrelli - Lead guitar
*Chris Caffery - Guitar
*Alex Skolnick - Guitar
*Angus Clark - Guitar
* [http://www.jonbivona.com/ Jon Bivona - Guitar] Bass
*Johnny Lee Middleton - Bass
*Chris Altenhoff - BassDrums
*Jeff Plate - Drums
*John O. Reilly - DrumsKeyboards
*Mee Eun Kim - Keyboards
*Jane Mangini - Keyboards
*Derek Wieland - Keyboards
*Donald Rooney - KeyboardsViolin
*Mark Wood - Violin
*Anna Phoebe - Violin

Former members

*Zachary Stevens - Vocals
*Tany Ling - Vocals
*James Lewis - Vocals
*David Z - Bass
*Daryl Pediford - Vocals
*Michael Lanning - Vocals
*Eric Hudson-cello-2007 Lansing, Grand Rapids, Toledo

Discography

tudio albums

Compilation Albums

*2007: "Trans-Siberian Orchestra" - Limited Edition EP (Lava) sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores

Videos

*2001: "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve"

Box sets

*2004: "Christmas Trilogy" – Contains all 3 previous Christmas CDs and one DVD

Non-album tracks

*"Whoville Medley (Perfect Christmas Night/Grinch)" - From the How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film) Soundtrack featuring vocalist Patti Russo

ee also

*Carson Williams, the Mason, Ohio electrical engineer who choreographed the song "Wizards in Winter" by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra to his outdoor Christmas lights.
*Jon Oliva's Pain
*Savatage
*Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24
*Twelve-Twenty Four, a TSO Tribute Band in the Northeast United States

Further reading

* |issue=124 |pages=19

References

External links

* [http://www.trans-siberian.com/ Trans-Siberian Orchestra Official Website]
* [http://trans-siberianexpress.com/ Trans-Siberian Orchestra Official Fan Club]
*musicbrainz artist|id=d2b83114-af3e-4397-b570-10d81f1dd650|name=Trans-Siberian Orchestra
* [http://entertainment-news-network-archive.blogspot.com/2006/10/interview-trans-siberian-orchestras.html Interview: Paul O'Neill - "Night Castle" Christmas Tour]
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2003/tso-1203.html Interview with Paul O'Neill on ChristianityToday.com]
* [http://www.raymondbritt.smugmug.com/gallery/2225082 Photos of 2006 Tour: Chicago]
* [http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=5640 Interview with Bob Kinkel]
* [http://maximumthreshold.podomatic.com/enclosure/2007-06-02T23_07_44-07_00.mp3 Interview with Alex Skolnick 1/2 hour interview with music on the MaximumThreshold.net show]