“Hong Kong Harry”(Composed by Reynold D. Philipsek, 1994 copyright) I originally wrote this piece for “Global Home Movie,” which was inspired by my 1994 trip around the world. On that trip, I visited Japan and China first, then Hong Kong. I wrote tunes for nearly every leg of the trip (China, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Athens, Rome, Switzerland, Paris, Amsterdam, Bonn, and […]
About 1977 I attended some composition and theory classes through St. John’s University. The emphasis was on early 20th century composers. Stravinsky, Webern, Schoenberg, Berg, Prokofiev, Bartok, and Debussy were the main focus. But Maurice Ravel became my favorite and remains so until this day. At the time, a friend of mine who was majoring in piano performance (and with
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Read More »
“Rococo”Written and performed by Reynold D. Philipsek, copyright Zino-Rephi Music (BMI) “Rococo” is a tune I perform often, both with my small groups and solo. The title stems from the ornamentation-like nature of the melody. The most successful pieces I have composed mostly have one thing in common and that is a certain “inevitability” about them. In other words, they
We spend most of our lives becoming. We are all on the quest to “become” the best and most relevant version of ourselves. For me, this becoming has been best exemplified by the music I have written. This music, in it’s purest and most concise form, is the mirror reflection of my becoming. Part of it has been the result
“Sailor” This album was recorded in 1973. It is now considered a sort of “minor classic” in a genre loosely called “Prog Rock.” I don’t really know how to feel about the record now. It is so long ago and I was a much different player at this early stage. I occasionally see the album for sale from various rare
“Gotham”(Composed and performed by Reynold D. Phililpsek, copyright 2013 Zino-Rephi Music BMI, All Rights Reserved) A few years ago, I ran across the tragic story of American pianist William Kapell (1922-1953). Kapell was considered the best of the young American pianists when his plane, returning from his tour of Australia, crashed just before landing in San Francisco in October 1953.