The Composers

Rob Kapilow – Composer

For over 20 years, Rob Kapilow has brought the joy and wonder of classical music – and unraveled some of its mysteries – to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Characterized by his unique ability to create an “aha” moment for his audiences and collaborators, whatever their level of musical sophistication or naiveté, Kapilow’s work brings music into people’s lives: opening new ears to musical experiences and helping people to listen actively rather than just hear. 

Kapilow’s career has been marked by numerous major awards and grants and has conducted many of North America’s finest orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony, the St. Louis, Atlanta, Toronto, and Detroit Symphonies as well as the National Art Centre Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He is an exclusive Schirmer composer and his many compositions have been performed by nearly every major American orchestra as well as orchestras in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

He lives in River Vale, NJ, with his wife and three children.

Fred Newman – Composer, Audio Effects

Fred Newman makes a living out of being weird. He is an award-winning sound artist, actor, producer, comedian, and author. Newman is one of the two people behind the sound effects that bring Garrison Keillor’s radio program A Prairie Home Companion to life. He’s been the voice of Harry in the movie Harry and the Hendersons, and also created sounds for other movies, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Practical Magic, and Gremlins, among others. He hosted the All-New Mickey Mouse Club and Nickelodeon’s Livewire, and created music and sounds for the animated series Doug. Younger audiences may know him from his word segments on PBS’s Between the Lions, for which he won three Emmys. Newman also revealed some of his secrets for creating sounds in his book MouthSounds.