Stephen Melillo composer / arranger

Stephen Melillo's more than 900 works range from interactive video scores to three symphonies commissioned by Gerhardt Zimmerman and the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, a Concerto for Violin & Orchestra composed for Anne Akiko Meyers, and over 11 hours of Music commissioned for Wind & Percussion Ensembles of this and the 3rd Millennium.

His scoring work includes 12 feature films and Music which has appeared on 28 network television programs. He scored the Academy-Award-nominated 12:01PM and the Emmy-nominated Actress Works.

Stephen's film-scoring text, Music To Picture was completed during the scoring and orchestration of Academy Award-nominated 12:01PM.

Stephen implemented the film scoring program at the State University of New York at Purchase. As author of MIDIMAST, sponsored by the Ford Foundation, he trained teachers and taught inner-city students mathematics and science concepts via musical composition.

In addition to his many years as a music educator, Stephen has been a consultant and arranger for more than 50 public school instrumental programs. During his tenure, each of these programs achieved Best Music Awards in all captions in all events ranging from the Cherry, Azalea, and Apple Blossom Festivals, to Tournament of Bands, Eastern Marching Band Association, and the Canadian Stage Band Festival.

Simply by word-of-mouth, Stephen's pioneering, self-publishing entity known as STORMWORKS has gone from 0 to thousands of worldwide renderings in just 4 years.

Stephen is a many-times recipient of ASCAP Special Awards in Concert Music and has guest conducted and recorded with some of the worlds finest ensembles. His students now enjoy a range of musical careers as teachers, and professional musicians in an eclectic range from television jazz bands to studio musicians to members of major symphony orchestras.

Stephen studied conducting with Jens Nygaard and Atilio Poto, a student of Arturo Toscanini. Varied educators, conductors and commissioning parties have termed Stephen Melillo's work a new voice in the direction of music.

"He could become the Leonard Bernstein of this age... Everything he creates has many layers, ranging from synchronicity to the significance of numbers, from visceral emotions to the brotherhood of mankind." John S. Sweeney, Music Critic

"His S-MATRIX Symphony was fabulous, full of childlike wonderment as the composer intended and marvelous sounds. And they worked to maximum effect - a brilliant, original use of orchestral resources for a sophisticated, sensational, beautiful and satisfying experience."Nancy R. Ping-Robbins, Music Critic

"Melillo is to wind music what Beethoven was to the symphony orchestra, and he follows a Beethovenesque design of increasing the musical tension almost to the breaking point, receding, and then reaching again. It is superlative musical craftsmanship and inspiring to hear." Marvin Sosna, Special to The Tribune.

"...a new voice in the direction of music, his sound ? a bridge between the serious and the immediately visceral." Maestro Gerhardt Zimmerman, Conductor

"... his ability to create a mood, find precisely the right touch of drama and create the needed effect was manifest... the sustained chords in the choir, the timpani's roar, the harp's glissandos. Melillo used them all with a sense of absolute rightness and the result was fresh, joyful and exciting... each measure scored with an unerring ear for drama and emotion." John S. Sweeney, Music Critic

"I sit back in a studio. There are others around me. Our eyes are focused on a viewing screen and our ears poised. The two tapes roll. A video and a film score from you. What takes place has to be called a miracle. We are pulled here, then yanked back, thrown into despair then lifted back on to our feet and beyond, far far beyond. The score is beautiful Steve. More than I could have hoped for. What a triumph! I thank you." Rogers Follansbee, Director