phone interview: Peter Calandra
“You may not know the name Peter Calandra, but chances are that you’ve heard his original music, his film or television scores, his sports anthems, or his Broadway performances. This prolific New York City-based composer and keyboard player has been immersed in music for most of his life; he has scored over 50 films, written over 2000 compositions for television broadcast (including over 40 theme packages for nationally broadcast sports shows, the most recent being ESPN’s theme for the Special Olympics World Games, and performed as a musician in the Broadway productions of Miss Saigon (for 10 years), The Lion King, Les Miserables, The Phantom Of The Opera, and Little Shop Of Horrors. Amidst this busy musical life, Calandra has composed, produced, recorded and released six albums of imaginative instrumental music encompassing touches of new age, jazz, contemporary instrumental, classical, and refined pop. His most recent album, First Light, [was] release[d] September 21, 2015.
““I’ve always heard music in my head—there is a radio in there playing new music all the time,” says Calandra.”
Tune into Instrumental Saturdays as Mary Bartlein chats with Calandra at 6pm.